Old Flame
by Esmeia
Summary: Alvin and Brittany are exploring their relationship. All is going well until an old friend from Alvin's past shows up and interferes. Set in the CGI universe. Alvittany, with some SxJ and TxE.
1. Chapter 1

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 1**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Note: Hey all! I decided to upload some other story ideas other than my main project, "Take Me Away". This one centers around one of my favorite pairings, AlvinxBrittany! But, I also added in a character that's pretty well-known, but I **hate** her guts, ha ha. But she's good for the story._

_Also, as a side-note, this is very loosely tied in with "Take Me Away". However, it's not required that you read both stories to get the plot in either one. Just an extra!_

_All of my chipmunk stories are based around the CGI universe._

* * *

A wolf whistle came from the top of a tree, startling the small girl underneath. She whirled around, only to see a very ruffled and unkempt male chipmunk sitting on a low branch of the tree, a devilish grin on his face. She rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip as she turned to face him. He leaned in, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Hey, sweet cheeks! How about coming over here and keeping me company?" he suggested. Now that she got a good look at him, she noticed that one of his two front teeth were missing. Her lip curled in disgust. _Alright. No need to get hostile._

"Tempting," she forced politely, cringing inwardly. "But no thanks."

She turned away from him, making her way towards a group of her friends who were waiting for her near the steps of West Eastman High. She heard a pair of feet land not too far behind her. _Oh, lord. Why can't he take a hint?_

He walked next to her, placing a dirty paw on her pretty, light pink jacket. Taking a deep breath, she removed his hand, stepping away from him.

"I _said_, 'no thanks.'" she repeated, a hint of warning in her voice. The rejected chipmunk timidly stepped away, looking down. She stared at him for a couple of seconds before he quickly scurried off, back into the tree he came from. Satisfied, she continued to make her way towards her friends.

"Stuck-up bitch!"

Her eyes widened, her cheeks burning a bright red. She whirled around, glaring at him. He grinned, his snaggle-puss showing for all to see. Her little paws clenched tightly, trembling slightly. Oh, how she wanted to go up in that tree and tear him a new one. But, she had appearances to maintain, and there were too many popular teens around her for her to risk making a scene.

Using all of her willpower, Brittany set off towards her friends, still fuming. _Oh, he's lucky. __**Very**__ lucky. If this was before I became a huge pop star, he'd be missing a lot more teeth than he does now. He's also lucky no one can understand him, since he can't speak human. He would really be in trouble._

Stephanie, a pretty blonde in the same grade as Brittany, smiled brightly. "Hey, Britt! About time you made it! What took you so long?"

"Ah, some bum tried to hit on me," she grumbled, looking down at the smudge on her shoulder. "Does anyone have a tissue I can use?"

Kayla, a timid but very pretty African American girl, offered her a tissue from her purse. "Here you go, Britt."

"Thank you!" Brittany smiled, scrubbing the blemish from her shoulder. She was still fuming from the encounter with that jerk.

Stephanie grinned down at the pink clad Chipette. "You said someone was hitting on you, eh? Was it Alvin?"

"I said it was a _bum_, Stephanie!" Brittany laughed. She made no secret, at least to her close friends, that she was attracted to Alvin Seville; the world famous rock star. She had had a crush on him ever since she first saw him perform two years ago. It was always her wish to one day meet him on her way to stardom, but she never expected to live under the same roof as him! _What luck!_

"Oh~ that's right! I forgot, Alvin is like your knight in shining armor!" Stephanie pretended she was feeling faint, batting her eyelashes comically. Brittany grinned, rolling her eyes playfully. _She's so silly!_

"Oh, hush! You're so corny!" she squeaked, smiling. Stephanie was a very close friend of hers. She, unlike some of the other students, readily accepted her and made her feel right at home at West Eastman. Brittany had discovered Stephanie had always been a huge fan of the Chipmunks, especially Alvin. However, Stephanie didn't harbor any romantic feelings towards him. Which Brittany was relieved to hear. _That would have been really weird._

Christina furrowed a brow, folding her arms. Christina was the new girl in school, having shortly joined after the Chipmunks and the Chipettes. Her parents were from the Philippines, and were both successful councilors. Of course, her family was very well-off, spoiling their only daughter with almost anything she wanted. While Christina meant well, she could be a bit insensitive and not think before she spoke.

"That's so cute. The cool couple, the nerdy couple, and the fat couple! You all should totally date," she said.

_Ugh. That's just like Christina to say something like that! And where does she get off calling Jeanette a nerd and Eleanor fat? _Brittany thought angrily.

Brittany shook her head, deciding to ignore the rude comments about her sisters for now. "Christina, it's way too soon for that. We're all just friends!"

Christina shrugged. "Alright, alright. I just wish something would happen to liven things up a bit."

"You're actually _wishing_ for drama?" Kayla said incredulously, shaking her head. Brittany waved off the idea.

"Oh, it's okay! I don't think she meant it that way," she giggled. The school bell rang and the four girls made their way towards their respective homerooms.

_Besides, I can take my time. There's nothing that could stand in my way anyway, right?_

* * *

_We were both young when I first saw you._

_I close my eyes and the flashback starts,_

_I'm standing there on a balcony _

_In summer air._

A wing adjusted the volume control on the almost brand new recording machine. "Mm.. good, good! Keep going."

_See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns. _

_I see you make your way through the crowd and say 'hello'_

_Little did I know_

The owner in front of her held up his wing, signaling for her to stop. She obeyed as he turned off the equipment.

"That was great, Charlene! Your voice is so angelic," he praised, showing her an approved grin. She smiled back at him, thankful for the compliment.

"Thank you, Storm. I've been wanting to let you hear that song for ages!" she said, hopping down from the cardboard shoebox he had her stand on.

"You've got a real talent, no doubt about that," Storm mused, walking over to her. "I wish you'd let me manage you! You don't need the humans to be big, you know."

She smiled again. The offer was very tempting, but she had a plan already laid out.

About a year ago, she had been shocked to see Alvin and his two younger brothers appear on a wide screen video billboard not too far from the forest. She had been worried sick when the trio had suddenly gone missing for several weeks. She remembered many of the sleepless nights she had, terrified at the thought of him being picked off by a predator. No one in the forest knew where the trio had disappeared to, and she almost gave up hope of ever seeing Alvin again. Then, one day, her mother informed her that Alvin and his brothers had made it as huge singing sensations!

_I couldn't believe it then. I couldn't believe that a human actually took them in, adopted them, and even managed them as one of the most popular bands in the world. But they're not the only ones who can speak human, or sing well for that matter. I'm going to make it big too, and finally see him_ _again!_

"No thank you, Storm. The only way I can see Alvin again is if I get one of those humans to represent me," she explained, looking in a small mirror propped up against the wall. She smoothed out her long, blonde ponytail. She admired her soft, sun-kissed fur as well. She kept it well-groomed and regularly washed, with hardly a hair out of place. Her hair was long, potentially reaching the ground if she didn't keep it in a ponytail. Her dark blue eyes easily caught anyone's attention. _Yes, I guess you could say I'm quite the catch._

Storm sighed, slightly disappointed. "That's too bad... but I understand. Though, I wonder how you're going to rekindle your relationship with the guy."

Charlene furrowed a brow. "What do you mean?"

"You know! Brittany. She's the leader of the Chipettes, and, from what I hear, she and Alvin might have a thing for each other. At least, that's what the rumors say," he said, ruffling his neat feathers. Charlene folded her arms, smirking.

"Ah. _Her_," Charlene flipped her hair. "I'm not too worried about her. She wouldn't know even half of the things _I_ know about him."

Storm chuckled awkwardly. "Oh dear! Come now, Charlene, shes probably a really sweet girl."

Charlene scoffed, shaking her head. "I doubt it. She screams 'attention whore' to me."

Storm shook his head, his smile fading. "Anyway, Charlene. I wish you'd reconsider. But, I respect your decision. Good luck!"

Charlene smiled, sincerely glad to have a friend like him. As unnatural a relationship as it was, a chipmunk and an owl.

"The next time you'll see me, I'll be a big star," she said confidently, waving at him as she made her way out of the abandoned music studio's window, and back towards her home she shared with her mother, father and younger brother.

_Look out, world. Here comes Charlene._

* * *

Alvin closed his locker, only after making sure his hair was neatly smoothed down. He had Social Studies next; and that meant that a certain pink hottie was going to be there...

He smiled to himself, thinking about her. He never thought he'd ever meet a girl that could make his heart skip beats. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also sweet, caring, and strong-willed. Sure, she and Alvin would butt heads at times: they were both equally stubborn (or at least that was what Simon had told him). But he couldn't bring himself to stay angry at her for very long. _Yup, Brittany's definitely my type of girl._

He rushed towards the classroom, making it inside just before the bell rang. Mr. Duskmore was very strict about tardiness, and wouldn't hesitate to close the door on any students who dared to be late to class. Even if it was an international rock star like himself!

"Alright, take your seats. Let's get down to business," the teacher said gruffly, straightening out his shirt as he made his way towards the front of the room. A few groans could be heard around the classroom. Social Studies was one of the most boring subjects in the history of boredom, no doubt about it. "Aw, come on. I have something fun planned for today!"

Alvin settled next to Brittany, who smiled at him. He grinned back. He returned his gaze to Mr. Duskmore.

"I'm going to put you all into partners for a project come next week. I want you all to create a booklet about your favorite place in the world. Any county at all. That would include the languages, religions, cultural holidays, famous monuments, and other unique information about that country," he continued, pacing in front of the large blackboard. Many excited whispers floated around the classroom at this announcement. Even Alvin was interested, and he hated schoolwork!

"Oh, I want to do a booklet on Canada!"

"I want to do mine on London!"

"I'm doing one on Ireland! That's where my mom's from."

Mr. Duskmore raised a hand to quiet the class. "Now, I'll let you all choose your partners when we start next week. I trust you all to work hard and diligently, since this can make or break your grade..."

Alvin tuned out the rest of his words, turning towards Brittany again with a wide grin. "Hey, Britt."

Brittany looked away from Mr. Duskmore, her stunning blue eyes looking into his hazel ones. "Yes, Alvin?"

He gulped. _Oh great. Why am I getting so nervous? I don't remember being so nervous around a girl in a long time..._

"How about being my partner?" he asked confidently, flashing her his best smile. Brittany grinned, looking up at the ceiling as if she were in deep consideration.

"Well~ I don't know. I mean, I'm sure I'll get so many offers," she said teasingly. Alvin smirked, leaning in.

"Oh, come on!" he said, giving her his signature puppy-dog eyes.

She giggled, poking his nose playfully. "I'd love to. But you better not distract me!"

"Me? A distraction? Never!... unless you want me to be?" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. The redhead laughed, nudging his shoulder.

"As if!" she said, though it sounded like she found the offer tempting. Alvin grinned.

"I know you want me, Britt. Admit it!" he snickered.

"**Alvin Seville!** Would you like to share with the class as to _why_ Ms. Brittany would 'want' you?" Mr. Duskmore said, tapping his foot in annoyance. The rest of the class turned around to look at the pair, snickering. Brittany's cheeks blushed bright pink, hiding her face in her hands. Alvin looked away, rubbing the back of his head.

"Eh heh... sorry about that," he laughed, trying to hide his embarrassment. Mr. Duskmore snorted and returned to the blackboard.

_Smooth, Alvin. Real smooth._

* * *

_Author's Note: I rather like how this first chapter came out!_

_I hope you enjoyed reading this. I plan to do another story, more than likely focusing on Theodore and Eleanor, because they don't get enough love. ;u; _

_Suggestions are greatly appreciated, whether I actually write them in or not._

_Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 2**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Note: Thanks for any and all reviews, guys! :D _

_Much appreciated!_

_Sorry it took a little while to update! But here's chapter two. I'll try and update my other ongoing stories as much as I can._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"Okay, girls. Are you ready?" Dave asked, poising his finger over the 'play' button of the stereo.

Brittany looked to her sides, checking to see if her sisters were ready to start rehearsal. Jeanette adjusted her glasses, nodding. Eleanor smoothed out her light green skirt, smiling.

"Yes! We're all set," Brittany said, giving him a thumbs up. Dave nodded and started to play the music.

The three girls began to sing their own rendition of 'Tik Tok', dancing perfectly to the beat. Brittany, as usual, was the lead singer, while her younger sisters followed her lead. Brittany loved being the center of attention: she worked well in front of an audience, and she was confident in her singing and dancing abilities.

Moving to the right, she accidentally stumbled into Eleanor. The two fell down, and was soon accompanied by Jeanette as she tripped over them.

"Ow! Ellie!" Brittany snapped, painfully sandwiched between the two.

Dave winced, turning off the music. "You girls okay?"

Wiggling out from under Jeanette, she brushed herself off. Brittany glared at Eleanor, folding her arms.

"Eleanor, what was _that?_" she demanded.

The blonde, chubby girl rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Sorry..."

Brittany softened a bit at her baby sister's hurt expression. Offering Eleanor her paw, she helped Eleanor up, smiling down at her warmly.

"I'm sorry, Ellie. I didn't mean to snap like that. What's on your mind?" Brittany asked, a lot kinder this time.

"Well.. um..." Eleanor shuffled her feet, looking down at them. Brittany glanced over at Jeanette as she stood up.

"You can tell us; we're your sisters," Jeanette encouraged, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Eleanor sighed in frustration. "It's... Ray."

"Ray?" Brittany repeated, blinking in surprise. "Cheerleader Ray?"

"Yes, that one! She's such a … such a _witch,_" Eleanor growled, folding her arms. Her cheeks burned with anger just thinking about the girl.

Brittany thought back. Ray was probably the most popular girl in school; she was gorgeous, wealthy, clever, and athletic. Brittany had seen her around a couple of times, mainly on her way to gym class. Ray, unsurprisingly, was the leader of the cheer-leading squad, and had led her team to many victories in competitions. Brittany would never admit it, but she was a bit envious of her.

"Oh, you were talking about her at lunch! I think, maybe... you should just stay out of her way," Jeanette mumbled.

_Jeanette was always so soft-spoken. That's what gets people to walk all over her! Well, figuratively speaking._

"No way, Jean! We're tougher than that. If you want, Ellie, _I'll_ talk to her. Nobody messes with you and gets away with it," Brittany said confidently, giving both of them a reassuring smile. Jeanette and Eleanor smiled at her, grateful.

"Thanks, Britt!" Eleanor squeaked.

"No problem, guys! We're a family, remember?" she grinned, hooking her arms with theirs. Dave smirked, rolling his eyes playfully.

"Okay, okay. Can we stop the love fest and continue rehearsal?" he asked jokingly.

"Okay, Dave," Brittany chuckled, getting into position again. Dave hit the button again, and the trio continued their rehearsal. They were scheduled to do a number of concerts across the nation during the summer, and Dave wanted them to get a lot of the work done now so that the whole family would have more time to relax during the break.

Keeping in step, Brittany's thoughts drifted to her plans for the upcoming summer. She wanted to do so much; go to the beach, see the national landmarks, visit the festivals...

_Maybe even spend some time with Alvin..._

Her smile widened as she slid across the floor in an extravagant dance move, gracefully recovering and progressing to the next.

_We'll have a lot more time together. Hopefully, he'll work up the nerve to ask me out **before** summer break._

The song ended with the Chipettes posing together, panting from their dance. Dave gave them a thumbs up, turning off the stereo.

"Great job, girls. Jeanette, you have to work on your timing a bit more, especially with that slide," he critiqued.

Jeanette wiped the sweat from under her brunette bangs. "Got it."

"Eleanor, you were slightly off-key during the second half of the song. Try and steady your voice more, okay?" he continued, smiling down at the tiny blonde.

"Okay, Dave!" Eleanor replied cheerfully, sitting down to rest.

"And Brittany?"

She glanced up at him as she straightened up, pulling down her skirt. "Yes?"

"Try to share the spotlight with your sisters," her adoptive father said as he made his way out of the studio. "Just like I always tell Alvin, it's not all about you."

What was that supposed to mean? She always looked out for her sisters all the time! Was it _her_ fault if most people paid more attention to her than to her sisters? No!

"He reminds me of a certain somebody," she mumbled, angrily rolling her eyes. Her thoughts drifted to their former manager, Ian Hawke. He was a self-centered, greedy and conniving man, who was only using the Chipettes to further his own agenda. He only had eyes for Brittany, however, and was determined to make her the only real star. He was content in letting Jeanette and Eleanor fade into obscurity, serving only as her background dancers. When Brittany had refused, he had threatened to kill them.

"Brittany, that's not very nice," Jeanette spoke up, retying her ponytail. She did this without much success, most of her long hair spilling around her shoulders. "He's not like Ian. He takes good care of us, and he did bring up a good point."

The redhead sighed, her hands on her hips. "What point was that? I'm not like Alvin, who's always a showoff! Didn't I prove that I'm not like that?"

Brittany was a bit hurt from all the accusations. She always felt she would be lost without her sisters by her side, and now, here they were, suggesting that she was some kind of attention whore. _What do they want from me?_

"No, you're not. But you're _always_ the lead singer. In a song, it's always 'Brittany! Featuring Eleanor and Jeanette!' It's never us being the main singer, with _you_ backing us up," Eleanor reasoned, leaning back on her hands.

This took her by surprise. She looked to Eleanor, and then Jeanette, feeling a little guilty. "Oh..."

"It's not like we're not _happy_ with that, Britt! But it'd be nice if we had _our_ time to shine once in a while. You know what I mean?" Eleanor said quickly, not wanting to make her big sister feel bad. She knew that Brittany meant no harm, and that she likely never considered switching it up before. They had always gone about things that way, with Brittany always leading. And, to be honest, Eleanor was pretty content with that.

"I never stopped to think of it that way," Brittany admitted, sitting between them. "But you're right, we should switch it up. It'd give me a break anyway!"

Jeanette laughed, nudging her shoulder. "You _would_ think of it that way!"

"I'm being serious here! Being the lead singer is tough work. Are you guys sure you want to try it?" Brittany smirked, stretching out her legs. She admired her own reddened fur color, proud at how sleek and neatly groomed it was.

Eleanor wiggled her toes, giggling. "It can't be _that _hard, I'm sure."

Pretending to feel faint, Brittany swooned. "Oh~ you guys don't appreciate how much work your big sister has to go through! Woe is me!"

She fell onto Eleanor's lap, her eyes closed and tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. Eleanor and Jeanette laughed at her dramatic performance.

"Oh no, Jean! What are we going to do with Britt?" Eleanor played along.

"We need to revive her! With tickles!" Jeanette grinned mischievously, wiggling her small fingers.

Brittany's eyes snapped open. "Wait, guys-!"

Too late. The brunette and blonde Chipettes immediately attacked her, tickling her tummy and back. Brittany laughed hysterically, wiggling around in a weak attempt to ward off her attackers.

"Ha ha- stop that! Ha ha ha...! This is so _not_ f-fair!" she sputtered, breathless from laughing. Eleanor smiled brightly, tickling under her arms. Jeanette went to her feet, causing Brittany to squeak in surprise.

"Okay, okay! I give – ha ha! I give!" Brittany surrendered, holding up her paws. Jeanette and Eleanor shared a laugh, releasing her. Brittany panted, shaking her head as she sat up.

"God, you guys! What am I going to do with you?" she said, pulling down her shirt and fixing her tie. Jeanette took off her glasses, cleaning them with a small bit of cloth. "But I do love you guys anyway. If you guys want to take the lead, I'm up for it," The other two nodded, looking at each other in excitement. "We'll let Dave know tomorrow."

Jeanette slid her glasses back on, blinking her violet eyes as they readjusted. "That sounds good!"

"Well, I'm off to get a snack! Catch you two later," Brittany waved, hopping off of the piano. She smirked as she heard the two talk between them, just as she knew they would.

"Okay, Jean! What are you going to sing?" Eleanor asked.

"Me? I thought _you_ wanted to be the lead singer next time!" Jeanette squeaked.

"Jean! You have to stop being so shy! You're a great singer!" Eleanor snapped.

"Oh, but you're better!" Jeanette argued.

Brittany made her way down the flight of stairs, giggling to herself. "Oh brother, those two have a lot ahead of them if they really want to go through with this," She turned the corner, peeking into the living room. There, she watched as Alvin did a victory dance in front of a disgruntled Simon and a tearful Theodore.

"Oh yeah! I wo~n! I wo~n!" He sang, cabbage-patching victoriously. It was obvious that he had just defeated his brothers in a videogame on the Wii; some kind of shooting game, by the looks of it. Brittany wasn't really interested in those types of games to really pay attention to what it was. Simon folded his arms, glaring at him.

"Alright, Alvin! You won! You don't have to be an ass about it," he snapped. Alvin stopped dancing for a moment, holding a paw to his ear.

"Oh? What's that, Simon? My ears are not used to hearing losers!" Alvin laughed, continuing to do his victory dance. Theodore sniffled, frustrated at losing to both of his brother numerous times.

Clicking her tongue in disapproval, Brittany continued her path towards the kitchen. _Alvin can be such an inconsiderate jerk sometimes!_

Trying to block out the sounds of his song, Brittany opened the door of the refrigerator (which took a while, that door was so heavy!) to get herself a can of Sprite. She climbed her way to the second shelf, pulling the plastic ring from around the can. She looked down to the floor, and back to the can. There was no way she could carry the can all the way back down, and not accidentally drop it and cause the contents spray everywhere.

Finding herself stuck, she called out for Dave. No answer. Rotating her ears around, she could catch the faint sounds of him talking to someone on the phone. She guessed it was Claire, a woman who, from what the Chipmunks had told them, was a former mate of his. Brittany sighed, pouting.

"Great, just great..." she mumbled.

A light scuttling could be heard from below, as someone made their way into the kitchen. She saw the head of Alvin poke around the door, looking up at her. His face lit up as he saw her, a big grin spreading across his face.

"Hey, Brittany. Need some help?" he offered, looking at the can in her arms. Thankful, she nodded.

"Yeah, I do. I can't see how I'm going to get this soda down there without spilling it. Could you get Dave for me?" she asked. Alvin shook his head, causing her to raise a brow. "Why not?"

"Throw it down here," he told her, holding out his arms. She hesitated, glancing around.

"Um, Alvin, I don't think that's such a good idea. I might hurt you," she reasoned, looking around for something she could use. Alvin shrugged off the idea.

"Don't worry, Britt. I've got this!" he smirked.

Against her better judgment, she nodded. "Alright, if you say so."

She pushed the soda can over the edge of the shelf, watching it fall right on top of Alvin with a loud c_lang!_ Alvin grunted in pain, trapped under the heavy can. Brittany gasped in horror, jumping down from the shelf to move the can off of him.

"Oh my god, Alvin! Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I should have never done that!" she panicked, holding him up to rest his head on her arms. Alvin winced, blinking his eyes.

"Ugh... Britt?" he said, sounding so far away. Brittany blinked, feeling tears in her eyes. _Oh god, why did I listen to him? Now he's hurt and it's all my fault!_

"Yes, I'm here! What can I do to make it up to you?" she said, her voice cracking.

"You can... give me a kiss to make it all better!" Alvin said, suddenly puckering up and leaning in for a kiss. Brittany blinked, completely still for a few seconds, before letting him go. He fell back, laughing.

"UGH! You're such an idiot! You had me worried sick! Don't play with my emotions like that!" she screamed, smacking him upside the head. "You have a real messed up sense of humor!"

Alvin continued to laugh, rubbing the spot she had slapped. Brittany scowled, her eyes shooting death threats at him. She cursed under her breath, calling him every kind of name under the sun as she picked up her can and stomped over to the table.

"Aw... come on, Britt, I was only joking!" She heard him call out to her, but she ignored him as she hoisted her can up to the top of the table. _I just __**had**_ _to fall for that egotistical, twisted, inconsiderate, no-good chipmunk, didn't I? Out of all the chipmunks in the world, it just __**had **__to be him._ She continued to fume as she hopped across to the counter, looking for the Cheese Puffs.

She didn't acknowledge Alvin as he climbed up next to her. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't think it'd upset you like _that_!"

"Hmph!" She gave him the cold shoulder as she opened the cabinet door, grabbing the half-full bag of chips and making her way back to the table (but not before getting a straw for her soda). Alvin followed close behind, trying to get her to look at him.

"BRITT~!" he persisted, effectively irritating Brittany to no end. She gritted her teeth a bit as she opened her Sprite with a _click!_, poking her straw through the opening and sipping the cool liquid. The refreshing taste did serve to calm her mood a bit, since she was really thirsty after practice. She cut her eyes at Alvin, making him flinch slightly. He twisted his cap in a nervous manner, looking right at her with those gorgeous hazel eyes. Her own blue eyes softened a bit.

"I'm really sorry, Brittany. I won't do that again, I swear," he apologized again, moving closer to her. She smiled a little, pulling away from her drink.

"Alright, Alvin. I guess I can let it slide. As long as you _never. Do. That. Again,_" she reiterated, staring him in the eyes. Alvin straightened up, holding his paws up defensively.

"I promise, I promise!" he said.

Satisfied, she returned to her soda. After a few seconds, she let out a few giggles, unable to hold them in any longer. "Pfft... that was _kind of_ funny, though..."

"Right, right? Your expression was hilarious!" Alvin grinned, mimicking her shocked and horrified expression. He held both of his cheeks, his eyes growing wide and his mouth wide open.

Brittany laughed again, throwing a Cheese Puff at his head. "Oh, yeah right! I didn't look like that at all!"

Alvin smirked as he caught the snack in his mouth, chewing on it. "Mmf... you're right. You were much cuter."

Brittany's peach cheeks flushed a light pink at the compliment, taking her off guard. Feeling self-conscious, she twisted a bit of her hair in her fingers. "S-Stop. You're just trying to butter me up. I bet you say that to all the girls..."

"Oh, no, Britt. You should, by now, know that I don't lie when it comes to pretty girls," Alvin smiled, sitting down next to her. Despite her earlier frustration, she smiled coyly.

"Thank you," Brittany said.

"My pleasure," Alvin grinned, leaning against her a bit as he popped another chip in his mouth. Brittany watched him do so, resting her head on his shoulder as she fiddled with her hair. She sat with him, content, as he began to tell her how he had 'owned' his brothers at Halo.

* * *

Twitching her nose cautiously, Charlene poked her head from underneath the parked car she had taken refuge under. She had hidden under it after being chased by a stray rottweiler she had come across while looking for the building called Jett Records. The large dog had stuck around near the car, sniffing around for her. Eventually, when he couldn't find her, he had ran off.

Sighing in relief, she slumped against the still tire. _This is harder than I though it'd be. I thought I left all the predators back in the forest! And here I am being chased by strange dogs! Or whatever the heck that thing was._

_VRRRROOOM!_

She jumped, hopping away from the rumbling tire. She looked above, noticing that the whole car was revving up and setting to take off. Charlene glanced towards the sidewalk, spotting the same dog that had tried to make a meal of her earlier. It was either hitch a ride, or take a chance encountering him again. Charlene decided to take the car.

Making her way to the rear of the car, she hopped onto the protruding bumper. She coughed as the noxious fumes billowed out around her, making her gag. Her coughs caught the attention of the rottweiler, who looked straight at her. She gulped as it galloped towards her, sharp canines wet and bared.

"Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!" Charlene panicked, retreating further against the car. Thankfully, the car moved just in time to avoid the snapping jaws of the dog, much to Charlene's relief. She sneered at the brainless mutt as the car sped off, billowing smoke in its face. She turned around, climbing on top of the trunk of the car. Sliding around a bit, she looked around to find something to grip. She found a small metal design (which looked like some kind of logo), and grabbed onto it, steadying herself.

"There. Now this is more like it," Charlene said to herself, looking around her as she sped past various restaurants, shops, theaters, and other attractions. Her eyes scanned all of them for any kind of recording studio. Eventually, the car came into close proximity of her desired destination.

"Jett Records!" Charlene whispered, looking at the huge establishment in awe. To her surprise, the car headed right into the parking lot! _Wow, what are the odds? This must be my lucky day!_

As she car came to a halt, she jumped off of it and hid herself away in the bushes. The door of the black Cadillac opened, and a tall man stepped out. He straightened himself, talking loudly on a cell phone. He was dressed rather messily, his shirt and pants badly ruffled. His teeth were, to her disgust, horribly uneven and his hair was receding, giving him an unattractive baldness. He was also loud and obnoxious, not caring if he was bothering anyone around him or not.

"Listen, I'm telling you, I can get more singing chipmunks! I can! I came across some _twice!_It's like I'm a magnet for the little freaks! Hello? Jonathan? Ugh!" he ended the call, stomping his foot. Charlene's eyes widened in realization.

_So **that's** Ian Hawke! He was both the Chipmunks and the Chipettes' manager..._

She looked him over, quickly assessing the situation. "And he doesn't look too bright, either..." She smiled mischievously, rubbing her paws together. _Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice..._

She scurried out of the bushes, making her way towards him. She retained a safe distance away from him before calling out. "Hey!"

Ian whirled around, seeing no one. "Crazy kids..."

Charlene rolled her eyes. "Down here!"

Ian looked down, nearly jumping out of his skin when he saw the small, blonde chipmunk. "Oh, god! Brittany!"

Charlene's eye twitched at the mistake. She folded her arms, giving him an impatient look. "Brittany's not blonde, genius. I'm not part of the Chipettes."

"Where do you guys keep coming from? First the boys, then the girls, now another one!" he rambled, looking around wildly. Charlene watched him turn around for a few seconds before snapping.

"What _are_ you looking for?"

"Where are the other two?" he questioned.

"Make some sense, please," she sneered.

"The other two! You know! You have a taller sister, and a fatter sister?" he said, making sizes with his hands. Charlene stared back at him.

_My god. This man's a total idiot. How in the world did he ever manage **anybody**? _

She shook her head, biting back an insult. "I go solo."

"Oh? Well, easier work for me! Let's go...er...?" He looked down at her, at a loss for her name. Charlene walked beside him.

"Charlene," she said.

"Well then, Charlene, get ready to be the new singing sensation! I'm sure you can sing?" he said, a hint of desperation in his voice. Charlene smirked.

"Yup. Wow, you must be psychic!" she said, faking surprise. Ian grinned.

"I have that natural sense of finding talent," Ian bragged.

_Yeah... you just keep on thinking that. I've learned a lot, watching you take advantage of the Chipmunks, and then the Chipettes. You're just a stepping stone, and will only be around for as long as I need you._

* * *

He watched as all of his friends, the jocks, split up for their favorite recreational spots. Alvin always did hate this part of P.E. He was too small to do anything; he couldn't do benches, lifts... none of the 'manly' exercises! Jack had suggested that he just use the treadmill, but Alvin vehemently rejected that idea. Owen, a wheezing and out-of-shape guy, got so worked up that he regularly vomited on the treadmill every time he pushed himself too much. Alvin didn't like the idea of touching something so disgusting.

He sat on one of the unoccupied benches, watching Ryan lift weights and counting each rep. He glanced at the small lift beside him, which was usually reserved for him.

"Aw, this bites," he said bitterly, kicking them away. Ryan carefully placed the bar back in it's place before sitting up, taking a swig from his water bottle.

"What's up?" he asked, looking over at Alvin as he folded his arms.

"I always have to use these stupid things! I want to do something more challenging! How else am I going to stay fit enough to continue to play on the football team?" he said. He greatly coveted his reputation as one of the best football players in the school, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Ryan rubbed his slightly stubbled chin, looking his tiny friend over. "Track?"

"Be on the track team?" Alvin raised an eyebrow, staring at him. Ryan shrugged.

"Why not? It's great exercise. Or, if not track, do some runs with me and the guys," he mused.

Alvin scowled slightly. Even though Ryan and him were currently on good terms, he still held a bit of grudge towards him after all he and his friends had put him through. They had caused his brothers a lot of grief as well. Heck, Simon constantly voiced how he couldn't understand why Alvin would even continue to talk to them!

But Alvin felt they were even. He and his brothers had proven that they were no pushovers, and that Ryan couldn't continue to intimidate them without a fight. Ryan and his team, it seemed, had grown to respect them for that. So, Alvin was still considered part of the gang, and continued to hang out with them.

"Well... alright. That sounds cool," Alvin finally agreed. Ryan grinned, returning to his exercises.

"My man! We'll set up a time where we can meet up. Besides the exercise, the scenery is _nice,_" he grinned.

Alvin laughed, twisting his cap around. "Since when were _you_ interested in the landscape?"

Trent, the tallest of the group, laughed. He was spotting Ryan as he did his reps. "Naw, he means the _girls_. Cheerleaders practice out in the field a lot, and that's when we try to do our laps," he explained.

"Oh? Then you can definitely count me in!" he grinned. Wherever cute girls gathered, Alvin was sure to follow. As he already knew, he was extremely popular, especially with the females. All the girls in the school just couldn't get enough of his vocal talents, his looks, and his charms.

"Ha, I was betting on that! I can't wait to see Ray again. She's a hottie!" Ryan grinned, bending his arms as he held the bar. Trent and Alvin shared incredulous looks.

"RAY?" the two of them said simultaneously.

Ryan looked at them, raising a brow. "What?"

"Ray's a _snake_, man!" Trent said, shaking his head. Alvin nodded in agreement.

"Exactly! She feels everyone's below her! It'd take a miracle for you to get her attention," Alvin said, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Pssht! You're one to talk. Little miss Princess Brittany has the same attitude!" Ryan shot back.

Alvin bristled at the comment. "Brittany's not like Ray at _all_! Sure, she might be stubborn, and sometimes just plain _infuriating_... but she's much better than Ray. She doesn't hold a candle to Brittany."

"Oh~ watch out, Ryan! You're talking about Alvin's girl!" Trent snickered. Ryan laughed as well, causing Alvin to blush slightly.

"She's not my girlfriend," He said weakly.

"Not _yet,_" chimed Ryan and Trent, laughing even louder. Alvin twitched.

"Shut up!"

A heavy wheezing distracted Alvin, causing him to jump and look to his left. There stood Owen, a freshman to West Eastman. He was tall, almost as tall as Trent. However, he was also skinny and extremely weak. He was horrible at all sports, and he always came in last in any games they played in class. In all honesty, he wasn't overly nerdy, but was very desperate. Alvin was of the opinion that the guy couldn't take a hint and get lost when people made it known that he wasn't wanted.

"Hey, guys! I... couldn't help but overhear that you guys were going for a few laps! Can I join in?" he lied, smiling brightly at the three boys. Alvin cut his eyes at him.

_Whatever, "overhear" my ass. He was being nosy._

Ryan replaced the bar, sighing. "I don't know, Owen. You're not much of a runner."

Owen frowned. "Yes I am! I mean, I'm sure I can keep up!"

Trent rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Man, we did three laps around the gymnasium, and you looked ready to keel over!"

"T-That was a long time ago!" Owen stuttered. "I promise, I won't slow you guys down. I just want to get a look at the girls."

"Then why don't you just watch, then?" Alvin cut in, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jersey. Owen scratched the back of his head, small flakes of dandruff floating down.

"Well, I can't. Then it'd be blatantly obvious, now, would it?" Owen replied.

Ryan got up, wiping his face off with a towel. "Alright, Owen. Just don't faint or anything while you're there, alright?"

Owen smiled, nodding. "I won't! Thanks guys!" He walked off toward the water fountain, slurping up the water thirstily. Alvin turned back to Ryan, disgusted.

"Are you crazy? Why'd you do that? He'll cramp our style," Alvin said angrily.

"Settle down, dude. If he _does_ have one of his fainting spells, we can help him! And since it'll be in front of the girls..." His voice trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Alvin realized what he meant, and smiled.

"Oh, not bad. I'm impressed," Alvin praised. "Didn't think anything worked up there in that empty space you call a head."

"Ha! I'm going to take that as a compliment and let the rest slide. You'll be thanking me later when all the girls come flocking to us. Well, more than usual," Ryan laughed.

"Ha, we'll see about that. But I'm not holding by breath," Alvin said, smiling.

* * *

_Author's Note: Alright, done! :D_

_I'm really fond of this chapter. Took a lot of brainstorming, I can tell you that. ;u;_

_I'll try and have the next chapter out sooner. Also drawing a lot of art related to all my Chipmunk/Chipette stories in between, so that's a partial reason why some of this is taking so long._

_And, if you haven't picked it up yet, each chapter usually takes on a pattern (unless noted in the AN) : Brittany's perspective, Charlene's perspective, and then Alvin's perspective._

_Thank you for reading, and any reviews/feedback is greatly appreciated._


	3. Chapter 3

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 3**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Note: Pfft, sometimes it can get so frustrating writing stories. XD_

_Don't get me wrong, it's becoming a real passion of mine, but I get stuck so many times. So, if you don't see any updates for a while, that's why. So sorry. /flail_

* * *

Brittany, despite what many people thought, could sometimes be the "early bird" type. Back when they lived with their parents, she would occasionally get up even before them. She made a point to keep up this habit, especially now that they were in the company of boys. If there was one thing she had learned from her father, it was to always present a decent image of yourself. Some mornings, she would awake at the crack of dawn, bathe and primp herself, then sneak outside to do her morning jogs. Dave tended to be a tad too worrisome for her, so she didn't bother to tell him about it.

Rubbing her eyes groggily, she stared outside her window: it was still dark, the sun barely peeking beyond the horizon. She looked around at her sleeping sisters: Eleanor's bed was between hers and Jeanette's, with Jeanette's bed on the far left side of their bedroom. Careful not to make too much noise, she slid off her bed and shuffled towards the bathroom. Routinely, she grabbed a towel, a cloth, and bubble bath from beside the door. _Looks like I'll have a bit of time to myself before everyone else gets up._

Hopping up to the edge of the bathtub, she steadied herself. Calculating carefully, she jumped over to the nozzle and rotated it with her landing, releasing a strong flow of warm water. Pushing a foot against the "cool" nozzle, she adjusted the temperature of her bath to her liking. Brittany then slipped out of her soft, pink nightgown, folding it and tossing it to the side before she slipped into her bath. The warm, steamy water relaxed every muscle in her body. She smiled and sighed in relief and pleasure, leaning against the back of the tub. _"_Ah, this is the life."

After a few minutes of silence and basking, her mind began to replay the events from yesterday. The previous day wasn't necessarily exciting or out of the ordinary, but she couldn't help but ponder them. Eleanor had expressed interest in spending more time with Theodore, whom she made no secret (to her sisters, of course.) of having a large interest in. Brittany grabbed her cloth, saturating it in soap before running it across her arms and legs. _I'm not so sure how that will turn out. Eleanor's pretty bold, like me. And Theodore's so... timid. Shy. I don't know the guy that well, but I do know that he's pretty innocent. I say a bit naive. I can totally see him doing something stupid if she ever ran the idea by him of the two of them going out. I'm not willing to see Ellie hurt._

Her thoughts then drifted to Jeanette's situation. Jeanette wasn't one to always come out and say exactly what was on her mind, but Brittany caught on pretty easily: she had an attraction to Simon. It didn't surprise her much. The two had quite a few things in common! And Brittany felt Jeanette needed someone strong-willed and confident to be at her side. As much as she cared for her sister, she couldn't deny that she was easily manipulated. Whenever someone tried to use Jeanette, it was always Brittany or Eleanor who had to step in and protect her. It wasn't like she wasn't glad to help, but it'd be nice if someone else could help out once in a while. "Even if he is incredibly sarcastic..."

Dipping underwater, she gracefully swam to the bottom of the tub and unplugged the clog, releasing the water. She resurfaced easily and rested on the edge of the tub, shaking her drenched fur dry. Wrapping her towel around her waste and wringing out her cloth, she hopped across to the sink. Once there, she tossed her used cloth in the hamper and turned to examine her reflection. A proud smile played across her lips as she admired her reflection, turning around and posing. "Brittany, you are beautiful! Soft fur, beautiful auburn fur, and gorgeous blue eyes. And a voice like an angel!"

Her hand gently stroked across her hair. "Hmm... I think it could stand to be brushed out."

Opening a drawer, she reached inside to take out a miniature brush. She ran it along her hair, smoothing it down effectively and getting rid of any kinks. She neatly tied her hair into its regular ponytail, fanning out her bangs to make sure it didn't obstruct her vision. Giving a satisfied nod, she walked out of the bathroom and towards her closet. She picked out her usual attire: a pink jacket, black and pink patterned tie, light pink blouse and matching dark pink skirt. As she was smoothing out her skirt, she heard a small yawn from behind her. She turned to see Eleanor stretching, her eyes still shut tight.

"Good morning," Brittany greeted cheerfully, hopping onto the end of Eleanor's bed. Eleanor stared back at her with drowsy eyes, scratching her back.

"Britt...? Why on earth are you up so early?" Eleanor groaned, noting the still darkened sky. She fell back on her pillow, bringing her lime green sheets over her head. "It burns!"

Brittany laughed, shaking her head. "Lazy bones!"

"I don't know how you do it..." Eleanor mumbled, shifting around to her other side. Brittany chuckled and headed downstairs, keen on taking her jog before Dave woke up. Her slim frame easily slipped through the mail slot of the front door. Inhaling the fresh, cool air, she stretched out. She leaned down to touch her toes, keeping in position for several seconds. Although she wasn't what some would call "athletic", she loved to exercise. She wasn't into football or soccer like Eleanor was, but cheer-leading was more her style. After loosening up, she began her jog down the sidewalk. Her strong legs easily kept in step as she began to hum to herself. Ever-vigilant ears rotated on top of her head as she jogged along her usual path. Even though she knew their neighborhood was very peaceful, she also realized that it was only peaceful to humans. The threat of predators (stray dogs, large birds, and even household cats) kept her on her toes at all times when out alone.

As she reached the third stop sign (which was about two blocks away for a human), she rested against the poll. _Barely broke a sweat! And the humans made it sound like this was some sort of challenge._

Wiping a bit of sweat from under her bangs, she surveyed the area. It had gotten a little brighter now, with a few birds chirping their morning tune high in the trees. Brittany watched as a mother bluebird fluttered her wings, landing on the edge of her nest gracefully. Three little heads popped up, chirping for their mother. Brittany smiled brightly. Their mother offered up her catch: a large, wiggling earthworm. She fed a segment of it equally to each of her babies, giving each her attention. The small cries of the babies faded as they snuggled close to each other, content. Their mother then flew off again, likely to fill her own belly.

Brittany let out a small, sad sigh. Sad memories of her own mother came flooding in. Their mother had done everything in her power to make sure her husband and children were happy and provided for. Heck, both of her parents went beyond the call of duty. Sometimes Brittany wondered if she'd ever see her folks again. Now that they were huge stars, would it be the same as it was before?

She shook her head adamantly. _What am I saying? Of course it would! Just because we're popular now doesn't mean we'd abandon our family._

Feeling she shouldn't waste anymore time, she began the jog back home. Lucky for her, she made it back in just as Dave began to walk downstairs. Her heart raced as she ran to the couch, sitting down and whistling innocently. Dave was in his bathrobe, eyes slightly bloodshot and his hair ruffled. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Brittany sitting on the couch, already fully dressed.

"Brittany? You're up already?" Dave asked, walking into the kitchen to prepare his morning coffee. Brittany turned on the T.V, flipping through the channels for something interesting to watch.

"Y-Yeah! I didn't get up that long ago, though," Brittany lied, settling on a music video channel. _That was __**way**_ _too close. I've got to cut my breaks shorter._

Dave shrugged, taking out his favorite mug. "I see. You know you've still got..." He checked the clock on the stove. "An hour and a half before you have to head to school, right?"

Brittany watched the flamboyant woman on the screen. The video was extremely odd, not much different from the lyrics! Brittany shook her head in mild disgust and confusion. "I never got why people liked this 'Gaga' woman..."

"Brittany?"

"Oh! Yes, I know, Dave! I guess I'm just a morning person," She replied, lying down on a nearby pillow. Dave blew away the steam from the pitcher, pouring the hot caffeinated beverage into his cup.

"Well, are you hungry? I can fix some pancakes or something, no problem," He offered, taking a small sip. The hot liquid burned his throat a little, and the bitter taste made him cringe. But he could feel himself gain a lot of energy from the small intake of coffee.

Brittany considered this for a few seconds before shaking her head. "No thanks. Have to keep my figure," she said, patting her stomach. Dave smirked.

"It's not healthy to go without breakfast, Brittany. You don't have to eat a lot, but you have to get something in your stomach," he said, retrieving a pan from the cupboard. Brittany sighed softly, giving in.

"Well, alright. I suppose a little something wouldn't hurt."

Fifteen minutes later, Dave called for the rest of the family to wake up and prepare to head out for school. Brittany nibbled on the single pancake: Dave offered to give her more, but she declined. "I want to try out for the cheer-leading squad, and I don't want to get fat!"

Dave laughed, sliding pancakes on another plate. "Brittany, really. You're a chipmunk. No matter _how_ big you get, it wouldn't be a problem for them to hold you on top of a pyramid."

Brittany resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Gee, that helps," she grumbled bitterly, taking a sip of her water. Simon and Theodore soon joined them, greeting them both before digging in to their breakfast.

"Morning guys. Sleep well?" Dave asked, taking another sip of his coffee. Simon nodded, his mouth full.

"Well.. not really," Theodore mumbled, picking at his stack of four pancakes. Brittany looked at him with concern.

"A bad dream?" she asked, picking up her small saucer. Theodore shook his head.

"Then what's wrong?" Dave asked, looking over at him. Theodore fidgeted, glancing towards Alvin as he entered the room. Dave stared at him, drumming his fingers across the table. "Alvin."

Alvin jumped slightly, looking over at him. "What? I didn't do anything, I swear!"

"That makes you sound even _more_ guilty," Simon pointed out. Alvin rolled his eyes at him.

"What did you say to Theodore?" Dave questioned him, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Brittany saw Alvin glance over at Theodore, who was avoiding eye contact with him by all means possible.

"I... all I did was share a little, stupid story Ryan told me," Alvin explained, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Dave folded his arms. "It wasn't even scary! I mean, come on... a guy with a _hook_. I thought it was more funny than anything!"

Theodore piped up. "Well, it wasn't funny to me! What if he comes to get me, Dave! I don't want to be... h-h-hooked," He gulped, shivering. Alvin sneered at him.

"Stop being such a big baby, Theo. Seriously!" he said in disgust.

"Alvin, you know how impressionable your brother is. Don't tell any more stories around him, do you understand?" Dave warned, picking up his plate and placing it in the sink. Alvin gritted his teeth, glaring at his baby brother.

"_Yes, Dave,_" Alvin growled, stomping over to the chair furthest away from Theodore. Theodore still avoided eye contact.

"Good. If I hear anymore of that nonsense, you'll be grounded for a week," Dave added.

Brittany rinsed off her plate thoroughly before returning to her seat, which was coincidentally next to Alvin's. She saw him scowl, muttering profanities under his breath. She chuckled to herself. _He's so cute when he pouts._ Glancing over at Theodore, she noticed he was still avoiding eye contact. _Hmm, he __**was**__ a bit of a tattle-tale. Sure, Alvin shouldn't have told those kinds of stories around him, but come __**on**__! He tried to get him in trouble on purpose. _Sympathetically, she placed a paw on Alvin's shoulder, making him look up from his furious stabbing of his pancake.

"The downside of being the oldest, huh?" Brittany said playfully. Alvin smiled back.

"Sheesh, tell me about it. It's a lose-lose situation," He whispered, nodding his head to Theodore. "Especially when you have the most gullible little brother in the world. You're lucky; I don't see Eleanor of Jeanette turning on you."

Brittany laughed. "Oh, don't be so sure! Jeanette can't hold a secret to save her life, and Eleanor can be pretty conniving when she wants to be."

"Wow, seriously? And Dave always looks at _us_ like we're the only ones who can do anything wrong," Alvin snickered.

"I know, right? It's so unfair!" Brittany grinned. "What are we to do?"

"Pfft. I say whenever they show their ugly sides, we let Dave see for himself," Alvin said, rubbing his hands together with a mischievous smile. Brittany watched him do so, holding her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"Ha, you're so evil! I would never do that," She said, flipping her hair. Alvin looked at her with doubtful eyes.

"Is that so?"

"That is so!"

"Is that so so?"

"It is that so so so."

"Is that so so so _so_?"

"It is that so so... so!"

Alvin laughed. "You missed a 'so'."

She nudged him. "Shut up! It didn't even make sense to begin with!" She laughed, watching Eleanor and Jeanette finally join them. Jeanette shyly took her seat beside Simon, who kindly greeted her. Eleanor beamed at Theodore, waving at him. Theodore, who had been silent until then, smiled back and waved timidly.

"So why'd you go along with it, then?" Alvin questioned, lifting up his cleared plate and dropping it into the sink with a loud clatter. Dave shot him an annoyed glare, to which Alvin ignored. Brittany suppressed a grin.

"I was simply _humoring_ you, Alvin," she replied. Brittany hopped down from table, picking up her backpack and slipping the straps over her shoulders. Alvin followed her and did the same, only he let his hang lazily over one shoulder.

"Ha, so you say. So, partner, did you decide what place we're going to do our project on?" Alvin leaned against the wall, looking her over. Brittany tapped her lip, pondering.

"Well, why not France? That's a nice place," she suggested. France seemed to be one of the most beautiful places in the world! The sights, the romantic atmosphere.. and the cute boutiques! She had yet to tour the world like the Chipmunks had, and she was eager to perform there someday soon. But Alvin waved it off, much to her disappointment.

"No way. A lot of people are going to do that! Besides, France isn't all that great if you ask me. It's a lot of hype," he said bluntly, running his hair through his brown hair. Brittany poked out her lip, pouting.

"Aw... then what do you suggest, then?" she shot back. She stared at him as he stroked his chin. He smiled as an idea came to him.

"Jamaica."

Brittany blinked, taken aback by his unexpected answer. "Jamaica?"

"Yeah, why not? It's a great place," Alvin shrugged.

This came as a surprise to Brittany. In all of her readings of world tours, she never saw any mention of singers performing in Jamaica, or any of the neighboring islands. She didn't even know much about the location at all! She did, however, hear from some of her friends say that it was renowned largely for being an island resort.

"Have you been there before?" Brittany asked, genuinely interested now. Alvin smiled and nodded.

"Yup, Dave was the one who suggested we perform there. If all that mushy stuff is your kind of thing, Jamaica's the place to be. Really nice and laid back," Alvin said. Brittany was impressed. "So, you into that idea?"

"Totally. Maybe you can take me there sometime to get to experience it first-hand," Brittany smiled, poking his nose. Alvin twitched it slightly, blinking in surprise.

"Oh, really? Is that a date?" He grinned, taking her hand. "I didn't think you cared."

Brittany let him hold her hand, giving his a squeeze. "I don't! I just want to see the sites! You're just my ticket there," she teased, causing him to laugh.

"How cold, Britt. How cold," he replied, pretending to be wounded.

The sound of their sibling's footsteps snapped them out of their flirting, Brittany instinctively taking her hand out of his. She felt a pang of regret as their kin joined them at the front door. _Aw. It always seems like we're interrupted. Not that anything was going to happen!_

Dave opened the door for them, waving them goodbye. "Be good, guys. Especially _you_, Alvin."

Before Alvin could reply, he closed the door. Alvin fumed the whole time as they walked together towards West Eastman.

"Calm down, Alvin. Dave's just a bit overprotective, that's all," Brittany reasoned, walking beside him. Alvin scoffed.

"I know, I know. I love Dave, okay? But it's always _my_ fault, isn't it? I'm always the trouble-maker!" Alvin glared down at Theodore, who was walking beside him. "And all because my wimpy little brother can't handle a silly story."

Eleanor scowled at him. "I bet you did that on purpose anyway. Theo doesn't like scary stories, and you shouldn't have tried to scare him like that!"

Brittany smirked, shaking her head. Eleanor would defend Theodore no matter what, it seemed. Even if he acted like a spoiled little kit. "Anyway, we're going to be late. I'll meet up with you guys later!"

Waving goodbye, she rushed into the school and towards her homeroom. Ms. Ortega was just outside the door, greeting her students as they walked past. Brittany always did like the young, friendly teacher she met when she, along with her sisters, first auditioned for the Battle of the Bands. She was pretty, caring, and understanding; the type of teacher you felt you could talk to about personal matters and not feel odd about it.

"Good morning, Brittany," Ms. Ortega greeted, smiling down at her little student. Brittany returned the smile, scuttling past her.

"Good morning, Ms. Ortega!" Brittany greeted cheerfully, settling in her seat in the front of the class. Ms. Ortega closed the door as the tardy bell rang, walking to her desk in the front of the class. She turned on the TV to show the morning announcements, which also signaled everyone to honor the national flag and say the accompanying anthem. Ms. Ortega, after marking attendance, then allowed the class to chat amongst themselves. They weren't scheduled for first period for another twenty minutes anyway.

"Like, oh my god, Ray! Those shoes are _so_ hot!" a screechy voice praised loudly.

Brittany cringed at the nasally voice, turning around to see who the girl was. It was Crystal, one of Ray's lackeys. Crystal was an extremely unattractive and dim-witted girl. Her hair was dyed wild colors like lime green and flaming red, and her make-up was so overdone that it reminded Brittany of one of those creepy porcelain dolls. But, because she looked so horrible, she mooched off the popularity of those prettier and more social than her: in this case, it was Raven Osbourne.

Brittany never liked Raven: she was snobby, bitchy, loud, bratty, and ungrateful. She wouldn't hesitate to back-stab a "friend" of hers if she felt they got out of line. She felt everyone should bow down at her overpriced sandals and kiss her feet, feeling that simply being in her presence was a privilege. Brittany preferred to avoid communicating with her at all costs.

"Of course they are, Crystal! My daddy bought them for me, for getting a good grade on my science test. When the prospect of new designer shoes is at stake, who am I to say no?" Ray laughed loudly, many of the girls around her joining in. Brittany sneered, folding her arms. They were nothing butt brown-nosers. Ray wasn't even funny! But as long as they could stay in her good graces, they'd do anything she asked of them. _It's disgusting!_

"Anyway, girls. I'm going to start recruiting for the cheer-leading squad. Anyone who wants to try and impress me, sign up soon! We need some real talent, and I accept only the _best,_" Ray drawled on, filing her nails. Brittany's eyes widened.

_What? Darn, I forgot she was the leader of the squad. And auditions are opening up?_ Brittany bit her lip, looking down at her lap as she sat, deep in thought. _This might be my only chance to get on the team. And there's no way Ray would let me on the team if I get on her bad side..._

She sighed, deeply hating the situation. She hated the thought of pretending to like Raven, just so she could fairly get a spot on the team. Brittany even considered just dropping the notion and not try out... but she _really_ wanted that spot! Cheer-leading, besides singing, was one of the things she always wanted to do. And she would be the first chipmunk to ever do it! How cool is that?

Brittany steeled herself, putting on her best smile before turning towards Ray.

"Hey, Ray? Do you think it's possible for someone like _me_ to make it on the team?" She asked, as politely as she could.

Ray looked her over with bored eyes, soon returning to her filing. "Hm. I don't know. It depends."

Brittany bit her tongue. "On?"

"If you've got the skill, of course. I only let the _best_ cheer with me. No less. And... being a squirrel, I don't want to catch any rabies or anything. Ewies," Ray snickered, the other girls following suit. Brittany's fist clenched tightly, anger boiling up inside her. _Oh, I've got something much worse than rabies for you, wench..._

Using all the willpower she had, she continued to smile. "Ah... ha ha. I'm not a squirrel, I'm a chipmunk. Chipettes. Get it?"

Ray raised a brow. "Oh. How clever."

Brittany started to count to ten. _Lord help me..._

"Well, I _suppose_ you can try out. I mean, I'm willing to give anyone a chance. Because that's how nice I am, right?" The surrounding girls quickly agreed with her, much to her delight. "So, go on ahead and sign up. You might just make it, Eleanor."

"That's my sister," Brittany corrected, her eye twitching slightly.

"Jeanette?"

"No, that's my _other_ sister."

"Huh. Adrienne? Alexandra? Tiffany?"

"It's Brittany. Okay? Brittany," Brittany said firmly, stomping her foot. "It's not that hard to remember."

Ray's posse gasped collectively, looking to Ray with terror. Ray simply glanced at Brittany, a small smile on her face. "Oh, that's right. Brittany. My mistake. Well, good luck to you."

The bell sounded, signaling for all students to move on to first period. Brittany picked up her bag, watching as Crystal carried what looked like to be an extremely heavy bag for Ray. Ray strutted past her, Crystal sulking after her.

Brittany sighed deeply. This was going to be a long week.

* * *

"_No._ For the last time, there's no way I'm wearing clothes," Charlene said firmly, folding her arms and turning away. Ian sighed in frustration.

"Why not? You can't go around naked!" Ian argued.

"I'm a _chipmunk._ You humans are so obsessed with slapping clothes on everything! If you ask me, some of you are just plain _weird_ if you look at us that way just because we don't wear clothes! That's fine if you guys do it, but it's perfectly natural for us not to wear those things," Charlene retorted, looking at the rose-colored outfit with disgust. In truth, the clothes he presented her were really quite cute: it was a mostly red outfit, with hits of pink here and there. It had a small slit on the side, with a gold trim along it. The neck of the dress was wide, letting the shoulders be free and the straps hug the sides of them. And, on the front of it was a curvy letter "C". But she was previously managed by someone who didn't have to dress up his stars like humans, and she felt the exact same way now.

"Aw, come on! Work with me here, Charlene!" Ian whined, holding the dress close to her. She pushed it away, glaring at him.

"I said no," she repeated.

"But the Chipmunks and Chipettes wear them!"

"Who cares?"

"We care! Look, level with me here," Ian walked in front of the table and into Charlene's line of sight. He sat down in front of her. "If I had the seven of you lined up in front of me, I can guarantee you I couldn't tell the different."

Charlene smirked. "That might just be you."

"Hey! A lot of people might be confused as well! If we give you all different clothes, then it's a lot easier! See?" He waved the dress in front of her, pleading with his eyes.

Charlene tapped her foot. _Wow. He's really giving his fellow humans a bad name. But maybe he does have a point: I might be a lot more noticeable with a signature appearance of some sort._

She sighed, taking the dress from his fingers. "Fine, fine."

Ian pumped his fist in the air in victory. "Yes! We're on our way!"

Charlene slipped into the dress with ease, smoothing out the small creases. "Hm.. not bad. Not bad at all." She mused, looking herself over in the small mirror across from them. The colors complemented her fur nicely, and especially brought out her blue eyes. She admired herself, turning around. Ian whistled encouragingly.

"Looking good, my little star!" Ian said, rubbing his hands together. Why, you could practically see the money signs in his eyes as he dreamed of all the money he would earn from his newest star. "So! First thing on the agenda. Now that we both know you can sing, we need to set up a concert!'

Charlene rolled her eyes. "How are we going to do that when no one knows who I am?"

Ian's excited smile slowly faded into a frown. "Oh."

Charlene pinched the bridge of her nose, willing herself to be patient. It was just plain ridiculous. She never had so much trouble with this with her former manager, Storm. That owl knew how to properly boost the popularity of anyone who was fortunate enough to have him as their manager. Not to mention Cob, her good friend and co-worker. She felt a small pang of sadness. She was beginning to regret not taking their offer now!

"Well, how did you get the Chipmunks so popular? Or the Chipettes? It can't be that hard, we're singing animals," Charlene said, placing her paws on her hips while looking at him impatiently. Ian stroked his stubbled chin, deep in thought (or as deep as someone like him could get ). He finally snapped his fingers.

"Got it! We enroll you in school," Ian said.

Charlene's eyes widened. "School? You can't be serious."

"Totally serious! We start you off small, singing in the chorus, and then we build you up! Soon, we'll have concerts and world tours! The money will come rolling in, baby!" Ian said, grinning widely. Charlene shook her head.

"No. How about this: you take me to one of those karaoke places and let me sing. World will get out on it's own, and we'll take it from there," Charlene said with a final tone, walking across the table. Ian watched her, blinking.

"Oh, well.. that's good too, I guess," he shrugged. "I was going to suggest that anyway."

"I'm sure you were," Charlene smirked, opening a tub of peanuts and nibbling on one of the cashews. Ian sighed, leaning back.

"You know, you're a lot more snarky than the last singer I had. Brittany, that's what her name was," Ian mumbled, slipping out of his shoes. Charlene chuckled, eating a second cashew.

"Well, I'm not as _inexperienced_ as she was. You're not the first one to manage me, Ian," Charlene snapped. _And certainly not my first choice either, bub. This arrangement is only temporary until I can find someone with a better reputation and common sense._

Ian shifted a bit, his ego slightly hurt.

"Well, about that school..." he continued.

"I'm not a kid anymore. I don't need to go to school. How in the world would that work anyway?" Charlene snapped, annoyed that he brought it up again. Ian grinned at her.

"Hey, that's what the Chipmunks and Chipettes are doing! Trying to live a normal life, don't you know," Ian shrugged, standing up to get himself a sandwich. The little chipmunk's ears twitched slightly, interested.

Alvin, in a human school? That would be the perfect setting to meet him! It'll be a surprise. She watched him bite into a sloppily-prepared sandwich, the mustard dribbling down his chin.

"Which school do they attend?" She asked, rolling over onto her stomach. Ian swallowed, wiping the mess off with the back of his hand. _Ugh, that's so disgusting._

"West Eastman High. Took my darling Chipettes there before they..." He sniffled, swiping at his eyes. "Left me."

Charlene didn't buy it for a second. Ian was trying to manipulate and twist previous events to get her to trust them. _Fat chance! You must think all of us are stupid or something. _Nonetheless, she pretended to believe his lies, gasping in fake shock.

"Oh no! How could they?" Charlene squeaked, shaking her head disapprovingly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ian grin to himself. "I mean, you give them your all, and they leave you high and dry!"

"I know, right? But, I try to do the good thing and not hold a grudge. As long as they're happy, I'm happy," Ian continued, sighing dramatically.

_Oh brother._

"Well, _I _wouldn't do that to you, Ian," She lied. "You're doing all the hard work just for little ol' me! Lord knows I couldn't do it on my own."

Ian puffed out his chest proudly. Yeah, she was definitely stroking his ego. It really didn't take much to get on his good side, either. Charlene almost felt bad for taking advantage of the big oaf.

Almost.

* * *

The shrill sound of a whistle cut through the air, making all the boys on the bleachers look up.

"Alright, guys, let's get started. How many of you consider yourselves 'fast'?" Coach Cowell asked, looking around at his team. Everyone's hands were raised. Cowell nodded. "Okay, fair enough. How many of you know how to get _faster_?"

"Exercise more?" Ryan said, shrugging his shoulders. Alvin folded his arms, leaning back a bit.

"Exercise certainly helps, true. But I'm going to share with you boys some quick ways on how to improve your speed. Now, it's not going to be easy to increase your speed, but I'm sure you'll notice an improvement. Come on down to the field," Cowell tilted his head, signaling for them to follow him. The group followed him down to the field, Alvin riding on Trent's shoulders.

"First tip: drive off the balls of your feet," The coach pressed the ball of his foot to the ground, tapping it a few times. "Never start from your toes or heels."

They all nodded, watching him closely.

"Second, you whole body should be leaning forward. Don't lean in from the waist." He continued. His students nodded again.

"Keep your strides short, but powerful. Push _off_ the ground. Most of the time I see you guys spending a lot of energy trying to make long strides. Especially you, Trent."

Trent slowly nodded his head.

"Pump your arms! Throw your elbow back hard rather than forward."

At this, Ryan rolled his eyes. "Aw, coach! That looks so stupid."

Coach Cowell smirked, throwing the football in the air and catching it. "We're not here to look pretty, Ryan. We're here to win."

The other boys chuckled, making Ryan blush slightly. Alvin smirked as well.

"Lastly, keep your head still and square to the shoulders." Cowell finished, taking a few steps back. Alvin turned to see a large class walk onto the field, dressed accordingly in their gym clothes. It was a general Gym class, with their female teacher whistling for them to start their warm-ups. Coach Cowell made sure they had enough room to practice before ordering them to line up by pairs.

"Alright!" He clapped his hands together. "So, let's do a little test. I want you all to run like you normally do! Don't apply any changes whatsoever. I'll be timing you. I want you to run down to the 10-yard mark, and then back. To make it interesting, you'll be racing against another person. First up is Ryan against Alvin."

Alvin hopped off of Trent's shoulder, who was placed behind him. He smiled smugly up at Ryan, who bore a similar expression.

"Don't let the fact that I'll leave you in my dust come between us, eh, Ryan?" Alvin grinned, stretching out each of his limbs. Ryan laughed mockingly, shaking himself off.

"Aw, that's thoughtful, Alvin. Let's pray you take on the same attitude when I beat you," Ryan countered. Coach Cowell began the countdown with his fingers, whistling to start the race.

Alvin sprinted as fast as his legs would let him, keeping his eyes straight forward. Ryan was trailing behind him a bit, but not too far back. Encouraged, Alvin continued to sprint ahead, making long, steady strides. As they reached the mark, they immediately turned around on their heel and ran back. Alvin was still in the lead, and he was more than halfway to the starting point.

_Sweet, I'm gonna win! _

Ryan's heavy footsteps passing him suddenly roused Alvin out of his confident thoughts. _Oh, there's no way I'm going to let him beat me! _He pushed forward, trying his best to take the lead again, but it was to no avail. Ryan was in front of him and crossed the starting point mere seconds before Alvin. Their coach stopped both timers, recording them on his clipboard.

"Ryan won this one," Cowell said, nodding his congratulations. Alvin was panting heavily, his hands on his knees. Ryan was trying to catch his breath as well, taking a swig from his water bottle.

"Ha. Told you I'd win. Don't let this become anything personal, alright Alvin?" Ryan gloated, smirking down at him. Alvin folded his arms angrily, glaring at him.

"Whatever."

"Catch your breath. Then, you'll both race again, applying the tips I taught you," Coach Cowell scribbled a quick note on his clipboard, then stood back again. Ryan and Alvin got into position again, bracing themselves for their second race.

"Alright... GO!"

Alvin and Ryan bolted from their spot, running as fast as they could. Alvin, out of the corner of his eye, noticed Ryan was running differently this time: he was driving off the balls of his feet just as Coach had told him. He was definitely running faster than usual. Alvin leaned forward, pushing slightly ahead of him. He heard Ryan grunt in annoyance.

The two of them made their way to the mark and began to backtrack. Alvin was still in the lead, but he began to worry that Ryan would catch up and pass him again. He panicked when his ears picked up the loud footfalls of his opponent. _Crap, he's going to win again!_

Frantic, Alvin searched his memory for any other tips that the coach had told them. Remembering one, he glanced to his right. Ryan was still making long strides, similar to Alvin. Alvin also realized that while Ryan was faster, he himself was beginning to slow from the run. Chancing it, he began to take shorter strides. To his surprise, he actually began to move farther away from Ryan, passing the starting point a few seconds before him.

"Yes!" Alvin yelled triumphantly, pumping the air with his fists. He grinned up at Ryan, who was rolling his eyes. "Aw, don't worry, Ryan! It's not that you're bad; I'm just too good."

"Yeah, yeah," Ryan grumbled, sitting down on the bench. Coach Cowell shook his head, writing down their new times. He looked up at his team again.

"Alright. So, Alvin and Ryan. Compared to your normal way of running, rather than your new way, you ran about four seconds faster! Already a difference, and we haven't even been practicing at it! From now on, use what I've taught you in every practice and the real games. If we really work at it, I can guarantee we'll see an improvement,"Cowell said. His boys nodded, impressed. Alvin was still feeling great after his victory over Ryan, who was sulking beside him on the bench. The rest of the team began to take their turns racing each other, with Cowell timing them in between.

"Alvin."

Alvin jumped a bit as someone called his name. He turned and looked down to see Eleanor, who was in a small white and blue t-shirt and shorts. He had completely forgotten that she had Gym class at the exact same time. Hopping down from his seat, he walked over to her.

"What's up?" he asked.

Much to his surprise and confusion, Eleanor folded her arms and glared at him. After a few seconds of getting no explanation, he angrily asked her what was wrong. She looked at him as if he was the stupidest creature on earth.

"Why did you do that to Theodore?" she asked.

"Do _what_ to Theodore?" Alvin snapped. He was getting tired of this crap real fast. It was always Theodore this, Theodore that. Poor Theodore, the baby of the trio! _Little crybaby probably spilled his guts out to his little girlfriend. He __**would**__ have her come and fight his battles for him. The little twerp._

"You know what you did," Eleanor sighed, rolling her green eyes at him.

_This is almost comedic! _Alvin felt he should laugh at the situation, if he didn't feel it was so stupid.

"Look. Eleanor. I don't know what you _think_ you know, but I didn't do anything to Theodore. He's likely twisting the truth," he told her calmly. Eleanor looked completely unconvinced.

"Don't try that with me, Alvin. You told him that scary story, and then you go and not talk to him! Like it's _his _fault!" Eleanor said angrily, stomping her foot. Alvin sighed, willing himself to be patient with her. He didn't know Eleanor all that well; the two of them both had an interest in sports and were probably the most athletic out of their siblings. But beyond that, they didn't have much in common. He hadn't had any bad run-ins with the girl... that is, until today.

"For God's sake. I heard one of those cheesy, comedic 'scary 'stories from one of my friends and wanted to share it with Simon. I bet Theodore neglected to tell you that I warned him to go out of the room if he didn't want to hear any of it. Right?" Eleanor raised a slim eyebrow, staring at him. "That's what I thought. He kept going on and on about how he wasn't a baby anymore and that he could handle a little scary story. So, I just let him stay and hear it."

Alvin glanced behind him to see if Ryan was eavesdropping. To his relief, Ryan was having a lively conversation with Trent. Alvin turned back to her.

"The story was your typical campfire tale: some psycho killer with a hook for a hand, who went after campers. Oh, so scary, right? Not," Eleanor tapped her foot impatiently. "Bottom line, I warned him to leave before I started telling the story. It's his own fault for staying and letting that silly story get to him," Alvin finished.

Eleanor came forward, pointing a finger to his chest. He winced at the firm poke.

"You really need to grow up, Alvin. Stop being such a jerk and treat Theodore better. What has he ever done to you? You _knew_ that he couldn't handle the story! So you should have just kept your mouth shut and told Simon some other time," Alvin's lip curled slightly, furious. It didn't help that Ryan and Trent were snickering at him from their seats. Eleanor didn't let up one bit, however. "If I hear that you've been treating him like that again, you'll have to answer to _me_. I won't let you hurt Teddy."

With that, the blonde chipmunk walked off. Alvin's cheeks burned with anger and embarrassment.

"Oh, you got _owned_, bro!" Ryan laughed, holding his stomach.

"Theodore will send her to kick your ass!" Trent snickered, slapping his knee.

"Whatever! He's such a wimp, I can't _stand_ him!" Alvin yelled in frustration, glaring at the back of her head. "Can't handle one thing by himself! It's always me or Simon coming to the rescue! And now that he has his little girlfriend now... heck, it's like he's trying to build a little army! She's worse than Simon," he spat.

Trent stopped laughing, but still with an amused smile on his face. "Aw, don't be like that, man. He's still your bro."

"I guess," Alvin muttered.

_But he is **so** gonna get it._

* * *

_Author's Note: Wow. This didn't take forever. Not at all! ._

_Aw, Eleanor wants to protect Teddy. But maybe Theodore should talk to Alvin?_

_Thank you for your patience, guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter._


	4. Chapter 4

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 4**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, guys!_

_Hopefully things will get a bit more interesting this chapter. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

_Ugh. I knew this was a bad idea! I just knew it. But it's too late to back out now!_

Brittany should have seen this coming. Eleanor continued her ranting, even though Brittany had told her countless times that she didn't want to hear it—not then, not ever. But did her sister _ever_ listen to her? No.

"I just can't believe you, Brittany! She's so selfish, and—and snobbish! How could you even _think_ of joining her stupid little squad with all her stupid, brown-nosing friends?" Eleanor threw her hands in the air, completely outraged.

Brittany rolled her eyes at the blonde chipmunk. She was getting sick and tired of repeating herself. "For the last time, Eleanor: I'm _not_ going to let the fact that Ray's... _unlikable,"_ Brittany forced herself to use a less harsh word to describe the girl, trying to condition herself to deal with her better in the future. "Stand in my way of being on the team! You know I'm not intimidated easily!"

Eleanor placed her hands on her ample hips, staring at her older sister in disbelief. "Are you serious? Does the fact that she openly disrespected me mean _that_ little to you?"

Sighing deeply, Brittany rubbed her head. Earlier, Eleanor had told her that Ray had made some snide remarks about them in her art class. Brittany didn't like it any more than Eleanor. Heck, she had to control herself to keep from stomping right up to Ray and giving her a piece of her mind. However, she reasoned that there were going to be many situations in life where she would have to swallow her pride and keep her goal in mind. This, she decided, was one of those times.

"Eleanor, don't be like that," she pleaded. "Please, don't. Ray's a lot of hot air! It's no use even wasting your time thinking or talking about her," Brittany replied, slipping into her pink nightgown.

Eleanor sighed, looking dejected. "I guess you're right. But I just wish she'd get what's coming to her!" Eleanor admitted, clamping her fists tightly and stomping over to her bed. Jeanette was already dressed for bed, a small smile on her face. _Huh. I wonder what's got Jeanette so happy today, _Brittany speculated. _She's usually so mopey._

Brittany motioned to the violet-clad girl, wanting her to join Eleanor and herself on the lime green bed. Hopping over (and almost missing completely and falling to the floor), Jeanette scrambled up and sat next to them. Curiosity got the better of Brittany, and she finally decided to come out and ask why her sister was in such high spirits on that particular evening.

"You seem in a good mood, Jean! What happened today?" she asked as she rubbed Eleanor's hair, who was still silently fuming in the middle of them. "Eleanor made it sound like Ray was on a rampage today."

Jeanette laughed, further worsening Eleanor's foul mood. "Oh, she ranted at you too, Britt?"

Eleanor couldn't believe them! "Stop trivializing it!" she demanded.

Brittany smiled, bopping her playfully. "Chill out, Eleanor. It's over now! Just let it _go_."

"Fine. Whatever," she grumbled, folding her arms and staring at the blank television.

Brittany and Jeanette rolled their eyes at each other behind Eleanor's back. They knew that whenever she was stuck on something, there was no use trying to calm her down.

"Anyway," Jeanette continued in a whisper, a gleeful expression on her face, "I... guess the reason I'm so happy is because of Simon," she glanced back at their bedroom door as if she were afraid someone would overhear her.

Brittany smiled brightly. _Aw, good for you, Jeanette! I haven't seen you this excited over boys before! Heck, I'm not even sure if you were ever into a boy before now._

"Is that so?" Brittany asked, genuinely curious. "Did he ask you out?"

Jeanette blushed a deep red, shaking her head. "N-No! We just talked about stuff!" she corrected. "I mean, it's not like he knows me all that well..." Jeanette babbled, looking away.

Brittany slightly admired the innocence that surrounded her sister. It was really cute. Brittany smiled knowingly, wagging her finger. "Oh, don't be so sure!" she said. "A date's a great way to get to know someone. It might only be a matter of time!"

Jeanette became even more flustered at the prospect of being asked out by Simon so quickly. "I—I hope not! I mean, I'd definitely say 'yes'. He's so _dreamy_... but I'd look like a complete spazz!" Jeanette waved her arms around to demonstrate.

Brittany thought the girl was close to exploding from all the excitement. _Poor Jeanette. Maybe I should help her along sometime; give her a few pointers. Lord knows the girl needs it!_

"Jeanette, relax. You have to play it cool!" Brittany reminded her, attempting to sooth her sister. "Simon's just a normal boy."

Jeanette smiled in embarrassment, the blush still evident on her cheeks. "I can't help it! He's not like any boy I've ever met," she sighed, a blissful smile on her face.

Brittany playfully made a gagging motion. "Aw, mushy stuff!" she laughed, dodging a retaliatory hit from Jeanette's pillow.

Jeanette laughed along with her. "Shut up!" she shouted with a grin, hugging her pillow close.

Considering Jeanette's situation resolved for the time being, Brittany turned her attention to the television screen. To her surprise, Eleanor had switched it on and turned the channel to one of Brittany's least favorite shows: _Celebrity Manhunt_. Brittany's eye twitched at the mere thought of the gossip-filled, drama-provoking show. _God, I hate that series. All they do is stalk and start rumors about celebrities! Like we need more of that in the business._

"Oh, Ellie," Brittany snapped, shooting a glare at Eleanor. She was totally engrossed in the segment, barely acknowledging her. "You know I hate this show!" Brittany pressed on. "I don't even think it would interest you anyway."

"Oh, hold on, Britt! I think they're talking about Ian!" Eleanor placed a finger to her lips, hushing her.

Brittany's eyes snapped back to the T.V. in alarm. Sure enough, it showed a recent picture of their former manager. He still sported that annoying, smug grin. _And he still has those messed up teeth. God, why doesn't he get that snaggle-toothed maw fixed?_

"Is it a rumor, or is it real?" a female host asked the audience, her words obviously scripted. "Ian Hawke, former manager to singing furry sensations 'The Chipmunks and The Chipettes', seems to have found a brand new star! Unfortunately, we couldn't get any photos of her, but sources say she is yet _another_ talking chipmunk!" Eleanor and Jeanette gasped, looking at each other in horror. Brittany simply raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I mean, honestly John," she said, turning to her co-host. _"Where_ do people keep finding these talking animals? Is there, like, a whole colony of them somewhere or what?"

"I don't know, Stacy!" the man replied. "But one thing's for sure: Ian sure knows how to find them!"

The two announcers laughed at their corny attempt at humor, provoking Brittany to smack her palm to her forehead in exasperation.

Eleanor looked up at her, worry clouding her large, green eyes. "Britt! Ian found another chipmunk! He might try and lock the poor thing in a cage!" Eleanor squeaked.

Brittany pulled the remote away from her, flicking through the channels for something actually worth watching. Jeanette, however, shared her younger sister's thoughts. "Brittany, you know how greedy and manipulative Ian is. He might try to use this new girl! After all, he did it to us..." Jeanette wrung her hands nervously.

Brittany, still unconvinced, clicked her tongue, turning to regard her sisters. "Guys, you have to learn to take anything that stupid show says with a grain of salt. For all we know, he was desperately trying to get some rat to sing for him!" She chuckled at the very idea. "If you ask me, they just twisted it around and made it a chipmunk to get people's attention."

Brittany laughed, holding her stomach. Her laughter slowly faded once she realized Jeanette and Eleanor hadn't joined her. Instead, they were still skeptical and staring at her with worried eyes.

Growing annoyed, Brittany rolled her eyes. "Anywho... who cares what Ian gets up to anyway? I personally don't give a darn what happens to him," she said truthfully. She couldn't stand that Ian Hawke. The man had manipulated and nearly torn apart the bond she and her sisters had made together! They had put their trust in him, and he treated them like vermin. She would never forgive the jerk and hated even talking about him. Even _thinking_ about him!

"Well, I'm sure you're right, Britt," Jeanette allowed, beginning to feel a lot better. "That was likely all bogus."

Eleanor still had her doubts, but she felt it was better not to dwell on their past manager.

Satisfied with her silence, Brittany settled on a music video channel. "Of course I'm right, Jeanette. There's no need to worry about him anymore. If he's anything like he was when we met him, and if he really _did_ find a new chipmunk star, she'll have no trouble tricking him." They all shared a laugh at this. It was true—Ian Hawke was not the brightest person out there.

Eleanor suddenly gasped, rushing to their shared closet. "I almost forgot!"

Brittany watched her rustle through her closet, throwing some of their belongings out onto the ground and making a collective mess on the floor behind her. "What are you doing, Ellie?"

Eleanor carefully pulled out a sizable poster board, taking care not to bend or rip it. "I have to color my sketch!"

Brittany cringed a little, remembering the art project she and Jeanette were working on for school. Their assignment was to draw something important from their lives. Unsurprisingly, Eleanor had chosen to draw the most embarrassing subject: their humble home in the forest.

Brittany knew that Ray was in the same art class as well. _Oh, just great! If she sees that, she might not let me on the squad!_

Eleanor took out her pack of crayons, handing each of her sisters a color. Brittany looked at the brown crayon, wondering how she could voice her thoughts without being offensive.

_First, it was this silly assignment, and recently Jeanette talked about Roy finding us! But if I complain too much about it, they'll think I'm just being bitchy._ Sighing in defeat, Brittany colored in one of the tree trunks. "When is this assignment due, anyway?"

"Next Thursday," Jeanette answered, slowly coloring in the lake. "We also have to do a small oral presentation along with it."

"It'll be lots of fun! Ms. Ortega seems to really like our idea," Eleanor carried on proudly, finishing up with the yellow-orange sun. "I really wish you could be there, Britt! Her class is the best."

Brittany liked Ms. Ortega a lot. When they had first enrolled in school, she'd been the first teacher to accept them with open arms, not put off in the slightest by the fact that they were chipmunks. The teacher was kind and had a bright and youthful personality. Last time Brittany checked, she and Toby were dating. Brittany didn't really understand what she saw in the videogame-obsessed boy. _I'm sure she could do much better. But, hey, I guess that's love!_

"I wish I could be there too," Brittany replied honestly. She really did wish she had more classes with her siblings. Although she was getting pretty popular around the school, the people that hung around her didn't compare to the company of her sisters, save for a few of her closest friends. Brittany also guessed that the attention she received was mostly based on her fame, rather than them wanting to know her personally. It was a hazard that came with the job.

After a few minutes of silent concentration, the three chipmunks stood back. Brittany had to admit, it was a masterpiece. Their already detailed sketch wasn't colored with crayons, as was typical. Jeanette was very artistic; she gave whatever she colored a sense of depth, shading in darker tones where the shadows would normally be. Eleanor was great at mixing and blending colors, resulting in a greater variety of hues than they originally had. Brittany prided herself on being able to add convincing textures, mainly to the rocks, water, and trees.

Brittany smiled proudly, putting her arm around her little sisters. "I gotta say, girls, we truly outdid ourselves. Ms. Ortega just _has_ to give this an 'A' plus!" she said, nodding her head.

Jeanette smiled down at her, obviously pleased with their work. "Thanks, Britt! You were a big help. We'll have to give you credit," she said, settling down to add Brittany's name to the corner.

Brittany shook her head, stopping Jeanette's hand from writing as Eleanor looked at her questioningly. "No, that's all right," she said. "You two did most of the work, and I don't want them to think you were cheating." Brittany grinned, flopping back on Eleanor's pillow. "I'd hate for you guys to lose points for something like that."

Eleanor smiled, carefully putting their finished project away for next week. Jeanette stretched her arms, looking more and more tired by the minute.

Dave suddenly knocked on their door, poking his head in a second later. "All right, girls. Lights out! You can keep the T.V. on if you promise not to make a fuss in the morning when I wake you all up," he said, switching off the main light.

Brittany and Jeanette hopped back onto their respective beds, snuggling under the covers. They all said their goodnights to Dave, watching him shut the door before returning downstairs.

Brittany yawned softly, rolling to rest on her stomach. Her eyes were heavy with sleepiness. Slowly, she succumbed to her body's needs, drifting off into a quiet slumber.

* * *

Brittany rubbed her eyes while standing in front of the bathroom mirror, memories of the previous day flooding her mind. Memories of the six of them going out to find their wayward uncle and bringing him back home. Of him deciding to spend the night, and likely most of the day. Brittany had prayed that he would go home the previous night, but Jeanette had encouraged him to stay a little while longer. Of course, Ray had accepted her offer.

It was Sunday evening, and Brittany was totally miserable. She wondered how such a great week could be ruined so badly. So quickly! And all because of her uncle.

Jeanette had gotten the brilliant idea to find their Uncle Roy, a dirty rogue chipmunk that Brittany couldn't help but be embarrassed by. Even though he, at one point, had known more about human society than them, Brittany now realized that his knowledge of human etiquette was extremely limited. He was a mess at meal times, scarfing down anything that was served to him like a rabid dog! Right in front of Dave and the boys! Especially Alvin. She couldn't bring herself to face him alone after that.

_Why doesn't he just go home? Or go live with one of his little girlfriends? Why does he have to mooch off of us! _Brittany asked herself.

Thankfully, in two days they would go back to school. This marked the one time Brittany actually _wanted_ to go back to school. Anything to escape the embarrassment of her downright humiliating uncle. But, despite her personal feelings, she tried her best to be civil and laid-back about the turn of events. But this... This was too much.

Brittany didn't know how, or why, but a simple visit to the park had turned into a fiasco. Seemingly as soon as they had arrived, they were attacked by two crazy dogs! Brittany had dived into the bushes, unable to see where the others had scattered off to. The dog had had a difficult time getting to them due to the dense shrubbery, and it soon gave up. Thankfully, there hadn't been a need for Brittany to hide too long; the dogs were soon called back by their irresponsible owner.

She hadn't left the bushes right away, of course, preferring to lay low just in case the owner foolishly let his dogs run free again. But suddenly, she'd heard an enraged scream coming from a few meters away. To her horror, she turned and saw that it was Ray! She must have been attending some family outing, because there was food scattered everywhere, and it looked like a number of family members were trying to calm the girl down.

From what Brittany could gather—and that was quite a lot—a chipmunk had run across the table, which, of course, had lead the dog to follow and ruin the whole picnic. Brittany wasn't sure who it was that had led the dog there, but she knew that none of this would have happened if it weren't for her uncle. _If we didn't have to bring him along, we never would have come to the park! Of course, there would be a lot of dogs out and about, and they can't help but chase animals like us around! Heck, they probably smelled his stink a mile off! _

Brittany furiously ate her ice cream, the vanilla flavor soothing her foul mood slightly. She glanced over at Alvin, who looked equally irritated. Raising an eyebrow, she asked what his problem was.

He glared at her, annoyed. "What do _you_ think?"

Brittany didn't appreciate his tone. She glared back at him. "Are you sulking about that stupid hat?"

Alvin bristled. "That dumb dog ate it!" he retorted.

"You're lucky it didn't eat _you,_" Brittany pointed out, raising her eyebrows. Alvin rolled his hazel eyes at her as she licked at her ice cream cone, wondering why she even bothered. After all, it was only a hat.

Alvin sighed and leaned back, finishing most of his ice cream and beginning to munch at the sugar cone.

_God, he's such a big baby over a silly hat. The things I do..._

"If it bothers you _that_ much, I'll make you another one," Brittany offered. She just wanted him to stop pouting! As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't like seeing Alvin upset.

Alvin raised an eyebrow at her, looking her up and down. "_Make me one?_" He laughed. "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing."

Brittany smirked, flicking his nose. He twitched it, covering it with his paws.

"I'm not," she agreed. "But Kayla taught me a few things from her design class," Brittany explained, cleaning her mouth with a napkin. She smirked, turning to face him. "So do you want another hat or not?"

Alvin smiled arrogantly. "Sure, I'll take you up on that offer. It better not come out crappy, though. I like quality wear, you know."

Her cheeks flushed red in anger, causing Alvin to smile even wider. _He's such an ass! UGH._ "Just for that, I'm not making your dumb hat!" Brittany snapped, folding her arms.

Alvin laughed, placing an arm around her and giving her a fond squeeze. "Oh, you're such a miser, Britt! You know I'm just teasing." Alvin tickled her side, making her wriggle away from him with a small smile.

"Stop that!" Brittany ordered.

Alvin, however, caught on to how ticklish she was and advanced, wiggling his fingers. "Oh, you're ticklish, are you? Come here!" Alvin pounced forward, tickling her sides again. Unable to resist, Brittany laughed hysterically, wiggling under his grip.

She tried to push him away, but Alvin was persistent. "Gah! Alvin, stop it! Haha!" Brittany continued to laugh, much to Alvin's delight. "Pfft, haha—you are so _dead_ when—haha!—I get my hands on you!"

Finally, after several ticklish minutes, Alvin relinquished his hold on her, throwing his head back in laughter. Brittany panted, tired from the unexpected attack. The two chipmunks simultaneously noticed the compromising position they were in, Alvin on top with Brittany pinned beneath him. They looked into each other's eyes, a light blush creeping up to their cheeks. Roy looked on with slight amusement, smirking over his ice cream.

"Get a room."

Alvin quickly got off Brittany, offering a hand and helping her up. The two brushed themselves off, glaring at the others as they snickered.

Brittany coughed, thoroughly embarrassed. _We always seem to have a crowd! What's up with that?_ "Is everyone finished? Can we go home now?" she asked, wanting to escape the awkward situation. She hadn't even wanted to go out today, but of course, everyone else seemed to be against her. Her eyes examined her pink skirt, mostly covered by fresh grass stains. _And my favorite outfit is ruined! Can it get any worse?_

…_Obviously, it can._

Their uncle had decided to stay for a couple more weeks. Brittany hoped that Dave would have some kind of excuse for him not to stay, but _Dave_ felt it was a great idea for the Chipettes to have family around. Brittany dreaded sharing the same roof with her raggedy, flea-bitten uncle for the next two weeks, but she cheered herself up with one thought: at least they would be away at school for a good part of the ordeal.

Brittany, however, _was_ seriously looking forward to seeing her bestfriends again. They all usually hung out during the weekends, but she hadn't gotten the chance this time around.

On the first day, as she approached the front steps of the school, she noticed that there was a lot of excited chatter— a lot more than usual.

Curious about what had gotten so many students riled up, she scurried over to Stephanie. "What's going on? What's the news?" Brittany asked. Stephanie, previously in her own heated conversation, turned to Brittany. Kayla and Christina looked down at her as well, strange expressions on their faces.

"Didn't you know? There's a new student!" Stephanie explained as though it was the most obvious fact in the world.

Brittany raised an eyebrow, not seeing what was so unusual about a new student enrolling for the year. "So?" Brittany shrugged. "We get new students all the time."

Christina flipped her hair. "True, true. But it's rare that we get new _chipmunk_ students."

Brittany froze, memories of the rumor the _Celebrity Manhunt_ hosts had been gossiping about the other day flooding back. _What? So... Ian really did find another chipmunk? And he enrolled her here?_

"W-What's her name?" Brittany stuttered.

Kayla tapped her lip, trying her best to recall. "I think her name is Charlene. Or something like that," she answered, nodding her head.

Before Brittany could ask any more questions, Principal Coleman dispersed the growing crowd of students, ordering them all to head to homeroom. Brittany made her way towards her locker, her mind swimming with thoughts. _What I Ian up to this time? And why would he enroll the new chipmunk in the same school as us? This is likely his stupid plan to ruin us, __somehow._

As Brittany approached her locker, she noticed that her sisters and the Chipmunks were all gathered around their own. She was forced to assume they had also heard the news, based on their nervous chatter, and were wondering what to make of it.

"Oh! Brittany, did you hear?" Eleanor asked, turning to greet her.

Brittany nodded, entering the combination of her locker. "About the new girl? Yeah, I heard," she replied, loading her backpack with all the supplies she'd need for the next three classes.

Eleanor nodded, looking worried. "What do we do, Britt?" She strode over to her, lightly tugging at her jacket.

Brittany closed her locker, still deep in thought. "I don't know what we're supposed to do right now, Eleanor," she said with a sigh. "At this point, if she really _is _being managed by Ian, all we can do is warn her," Brittany shrugged, adjusting the straps of her backpack. She honestly didn't know what to do about the situation. Knowing Ian, he had likely told the poor girl lies about them, manipulating her to believe him and forge a rivalry against them. _Heck, that's exactly what he did to us. And I remember how adamant I'd been in my opinion of the Chipmunks then..._

"Do you think it's the same Charlene, Alvin?" Simon mused, checking his folders to make sure he had all his assignments.

Alvin waved off the idea, calling it ridiculous. "No way! Charlene is an old friend, who lives _miles_ away from here! I'm sure it's just a coincidence!" he said, trying to convince himself as much as the others as he leaned against his own locker.

Brittany looked over at him, curious. _An old friend?_

"Alvin? Alvin, is that you?"

The six chipmunks turned to see the subject of their conversation. She was, indeed, a female. Her fur color was around the same shade as Eleanor's, perhaps a bit lighter. Her eyes were a piercing blue, almost shimmering in appearance. Her hair was the longest length Brittany had ever seen, going far beyond her shoulders and reaching below her backside. She wore a rose-colored dress with a small slit on the side. Unlike the Chipettes, however, she wore a dash of make-up: a little bit of lip gloss glistened on her lips. She was the same height as Brittany.

In short, she was very easy on the eyes.

"It _is_ you!" the blonde chipmunk called, running over to Alvin and jumping into his arms.

Alvin's eyes widened in surprise, his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist.

"I'm so glad I finally found you!" the blonde chirped.

Brittany looked on in complete surprise, not knowing how to react to the situation.

Alvin released the girl, standing back a bit. After a few seconds, he smiled brightly down at her. "Charlene! Oh man, it really _is _you! How—wow!" He let out a deep breath. "It's so good to see you again!" Alvin said sincerely, still holding her hands.

Brittany felt a pang of jealousy, though she quickly pushed it aside.

Simon coughed, snapping the two chipmunks out of their trance. Charlene looked to the other male chipmunks, seeming to have just now noticed that she and Alvin weren't the only two in the hallway.

"Simon, Theodore! I'm sorry, how are you guys?" Charlene smiled, bringing the other two boys in for a big hug. Out of the corner of Brittany's eye, she saw Jeanette and Eleanor cross their arms, watching the whole scene with mildly suspicious expressions.

"We're doing good," Simon replied. "We certainly didn't expect to ever see you here, of all places!" He smiled, standing back.

Theodore was, apparently, ecstatic to see her as well. "How did you get here?" he asked, genuinely curious to learn how she'd found them when she lived so far away.

Charlene grinned, her hands on her hips. "I have my ways," she replied coyly.

Brittany tapped her foot, looking pointedly at Alvin. Alvin smiled sheepishly, taking Brittany's hand and getting Charlene's attention immediately.

"Charlene, this is Brittany," he introduced. Brittany smiled at her, to which Charlene smiled back. "And these are her sisters, Jeanette and Eleanor." He gestured in their direction.

Jeanette and Eleanor waved, greeting her. Charlene shook their hands, still smiling. "It's good to meet you all. A pleasure, I'm sure."

Brittany noticed that the new girl had a slightly southern accent. Her voice was welcoming, almost motherly. She would have seen more, except the bell sounded at that moment, signaling for all of the students to get to class.

Charlene walked over and hugged Alvin again, a little longer than Brittany thought was strictly necessary. "I'll see you around, Alvin. We have a lot to catch up on." With a flirtatious wink, Charlene sashayed away to her own class.

Alvin looked on, seemingly captivated by Charlene's swaying hips.

Brittany glared at him. "'A lot to catch up on,' huh?" Brittany rolled her eyes, turning to walk to class.

Alvin quickly followed behind her. "Aw, Britt, don't take it that way!" he protested, taking her hand.

Brittany jerked her paw out of his angrily. "Take it _what_ way, Alvin? It seems you two know each other pretty well," Before he could say more, she arrived at her classroom door and turned to face him. "Are you going to be too busy catching up with _Charlene_ to work on our project?"

Alvin frowned, shaking his head. "Of course not, Britt. I wouldn't flake out on you! She's just a friend," he assured her.

Brittany sighed. _Maybe I am getting ahead of myself. After all, it's not like me and him are dating or anything, so I really have no right to get so angry._

"Alright, Alvin. I'll see you in Social Studies," she murmured.

Alvin smiled at her, sensing that she wasn't angry with him anymore. "I can't wait."

Unfortunately, Charlene shared the same Social Studies class. Mr. Duskmore introduced her to the rest of the class, much to their amazement. To them, West Eastman appeared to be a magnet for all singing, dancing chipmunks! After introductions were made, Mr. Duskmore assigned her a seat—a seat that happened to be right next to Brittany.

"I'm sure you'll all feel more comfortable sitting together," he said with a smile. Brittany groaned softly, resting her head in her palms. _Comfortable, he says. This is going to be so awkward. And he was only trying to help…_

As Mr. Duskmore started the lesson, Charlene leaned all the way over Brittany to talk to Alvin. Brittany raised an eyebrow, finding the motion to be incredibly rude. However, for the sake of preventing a possible argument, she kept silent.

"Alvin, honey. What are you all working on?" Charlene asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him.

Alvin smiled goofily. "Oh! Well, we're doing a project about our favorite place, anywhere in the world," Alvin explained.

Charlene nodded, stroking her chin. "Oh? That sounds kind of fun," she said. "Why don't we work on it together? Maybe about Paris?" Charlene offered, placing her paw over his.

Alvin gulped, nodding. "Sure, that'd be great!"

Brittany couldn't believe her ears. Had Alvin really just blown her off like that, when mere minutes earlier he'd promised that they would work together? Not only that, but he'd gone along with Charlene's suggestion without a second thought! When Brittany had suggested the exact same place, he'd been quick to object.

Anger bubbling inside her, Brittany shot an ice-cold glare over to Alvin, making him flinch. She had half a mind to shove Charlene's head back into her own seat as well.

"I thought _we_ were doing the project together. Or did you, all of a sudden, _forget_?" Brittany asked, her voice dripping with malice.

Alvin gulped, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, that's right! Sorry, Charlene, but me and Brittany are partners," he quickly corrected. Brittany smirked, satisfied. Charlene, however, frowned, leaning back into her seat.

"Now, if anyone has any questions about the project, please ask them now," Mr. Duskmore finished, wrapping up whatever lesson he'd previously been teaching the class. Brittany became even more annoyed when she realized she had likely missed out on some valuable information, likely on a test or quiz. _Crap. I'll have to ask Davis or somebody else to lend me his notes sometime._

Charlene's little arm shot into the air, waving to get the teacher's attention. "Excuse me!"

Mr. Duskmore looked up from his textbook, pushing his glasses further onto his nose. "Yes, Ms. Hawke?"

_So she really is being managed by Ian! _Brittany glanced over at Charlene, biting her lip softly. _I really should have a talk __with her sometime and warn her..._

"This new project... I don't have a partner. And I think everyone's already paired up..." Charlene sadly looked down at her lap, her question trailing off.

Mr. Duskmore frowned. "Ah, that _is_ a problem, isn't it?" He looked around at his students, pondering what to do. Indeed, all of his class had already chosen partners and were likely already brainstorming what their projects should be. Settling on the Seville chipmunks, he nodded. "How about you join Brittany and Alvin? I'm sure they won't mind, would you, guys?"

Charlene smiled brightly, looking to them both for permission. Alvin, as Brittany predicted, jumped at the chance.

"No problem! Wouldn't that be fun, Britt?" he asked, turning to her.

Brittany forced a smile, her fists tightening in her lap. "Yes. Fun," she forced out through gritted teeth.

Charlene clapped her hands together happily. Mr. Duskmore himself smiled, adding her name to the list of partners. "It's settled, then."

Brittany sighed deeply, feeling a small headache coming on. It seemed like everything was going wrong.

_Yup, the Devil's busy..._

* * *

Later at lunch, Brittany decided to warn Charlene of Ian's intentions. Sure, Charlene didn't give a good first impression. Frankly, she seemed like a total floozy, but Brittany honestly didn't wish what she and her own sisters had went through on _anyone. _Besides, she hadn't been raised to be vindictive and evil.

Finding Charlene on top of her lunch tray in the line, she scampered over to meet her. Charlene, looking over the many choices of desserts, jumped slightly as Brittany approached her.

"Oh... Brittany, was it?" Charlene asked, trying to recall her name.

Brittany nodded, taking care not to knock over any of her snacks as she walked closer. "That's right. I wanted to tell you something. About Ian," she whispered.

Charlene smirked at her. "Is that so? Do tell," she implored with a dark chuckle.

"He's just going to use you," Brittany announced, thinking it better not to beat around the bush. "He did the same thing with the Chipmunks, as well as with us. He'll run you ragged, and as soon as you refuse to do anything he says, he'll throw you in a cage! Or worse, threaten to kill you." Brittany shuddered at the past threats Ian had made towards them.

Charlene, however, rolled her eyes and laughed. Brittany scowled. _What, does she think this is some sort of joke?_

"Charlene, it's the truth! I just don't want you to get hurt," Brittany persisted, meaning every word she said.

Charlene, much to her dismay, continued to snicker. "Honey, I can take care of myself. Unlike you and your sisters, I learn from what I see. I'm not _stupid_ enough to let him use me like he used you." Charlene smirked, looking Brittany straight in the eyes.

Brittany blinked, taken aback. She hadn't expected such harsh words from the seemingly friendly girl.

"So, don't worry about me," Charlene continued, pulling a piece of cake onto her tray. "I'm a big girl, who can take care of herself just fine. In fact, you might want to take notes. See how it's done." She raised an eyebrow, daring Brittany to challenge her.

Brittany stood, dumbfounded, unable to respond.

Charlene shooed her away. "You can go now."

Silent, Brittany jumped off her own tray and trudged over to her usual table, still stunned. _Talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!_

"Britt? What's wrong?" Jeanette asked, noticing Brittany was completely silent as she picked at her pudding.

Brittany shook her head. "Nothing. Girls... What do you think of Charlene?" she forced herself to ask. Brittany wanted to know if her sisters got the same negative vibe from her. She wondered if she had done something wrong, offended Charlene in some way. Maybe it was her own fault.

Jeanette popped a purple grape into her mouth, chewing it thoroughly before answering. "Well... I haven't seen that much of her yet, to be honest. She seems like a nice enough girl." Jeanette smiled, picking up another grape.

Brittany sighed softly. Not the answer she wanted to hear.

Eleanor sipped her milk through a straw, pondering her own answer. "I don't know... Something seems off about her. Like she's trying to hide something. Kind of the same thing with Ian."

Brittany looked up at Eleanor, relieved she'd gotten the same impression of Charlene as she had. "Yeah, I definitely think she has some kind of ulterior motive for being here."

"But I still think she deserves to know what Ian has planned for her," Eleanor said, standing up. "I'm going to warn her."

Brittany took Eleanor's hand, pulling her to sit back down and shaking her head. "Been there, done that."

Eleanor and Jeanette looked over at her with wide eyes. "Oh? You already told her?" Jeanette stared at her. "What did she say?"

Brittany shrugged. She wanted to tell them how nasty Charlene's response was, but she didn't see much good coming from it, and she didn't want to seem too judgmental. "She said she could handle herself."

Jeanette nodded, readjusting her violet glasses. "I see. Don't worry, Britt! You did your part by warning her. It's up to her to realize it for herself. It took us a while to catch on to Ian."

"Yeah, I know." Brittany scooped up some of the vanilla pudding. Eleanor stared at her as she ate, greatly annoying Brittany. After a few bites, Brittany snapped at her. "What, Eleanor?"

Eleanor seemed to snap out of her trance, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I'm kind of hungry."

Brittany tilted her head at this. "Then... why don't you eat?"

"I'm on a diet," Eleanor said quickly, eying her hips self-consciously.

Jeanette and Brittany exchanged bewildered looks. _A diet?_

"Ha! Since when are you on a _diet?"_ Brittany laughed.

Eleanor glared at her, folding her arms. "I'm serious this time!" she snapped, stomping her foot.

Jeanette nudged Brittany's foot, sending her a meaningful look.

"Oh, sorry. My bad," Brittany apologized, trying to quash her amused smile. Eleanor sometimes claimed she was going on a diet, only to later say that she didn't need to go on a diet to impress anybody. Brittany had little doubt that this was one of those times. Nevertheless, she went along with it. "So, er... how much are you aiming to lose, then?"

Eleanor blinked at the question, seemingly taken aback. She quickly recovered, however, folding her arms. "I'll decide when to stop when I get there!"

Brittany raised her hands in a sign of surrender. "Alright, alright! Even though I think you do fine on your own, I'm all for it."

Jeanette twitched her small, pink nose curiously. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Eleanor looked at Jeanette, straightening out her skirt. "For Theodore," she said primly.

Brittany raised an eyebrow. "Theodore? What does he have to do with you losing weight? Did he… say something about it?" _Oh, if he made her feel bad over something like that..._

"No, no!" Eleanor blushed, waving her hands. "He didn't say anything like that. I made this decision on my own. I want to stand up for him better."

Jeanette smiled, touched that Eleanor wanted to protect him.

Brittany, however, looked utterly disgusted. "He needs you to protect him? From what?" she spat. She couldn't believe Theodore was so weak that he'd fully depend on Eleanor to fight all his battles for him! _I bet this all started with that stupid horror story._

"Eleanor, would this be about that little horror story Alvin told him the other day?" Brittany asked, already knowing the answer.

Eleanor nodded her head numerous times, her pigtails bouncing. "Yes. In fact, it does. Alvin was a jerk to scare him like that! Even if Theodore _did_ ask to hear it, he knew the story would scare him!" Eleanor ranted, narrowing her eyes.

Brittany stared at her, mouth agape. "Eleanor, he's old enough to not make a big deal about a silly story! I can't believe this whole thing is escalating this far!" she told her, shaking her head. "I think we should all just let it go now."

Eleanor rolled her eyes. "You're just taking Alvin's side."

Brittany flinched at the remark. Sure, she honestly did think that everyone was placing sole blame on Alvin's shoulders. It seemed that Theodore was always the victim, that he could do no wrong. Brittany hated that to no end. It was unfair.

"I am _not_ taking sides. I'm just giving you my opinion," Brittany stated calmly. Her day was already turning out badly, and she didn't want to start anymore arguments—especially with her own sister. "I just don't want you mixing yourself up in unnecessary drama."

Eleanor huffed, picking up her milk carton. "I know what I'm doing, Brittany. Someone has to stand up for him. Everyone wants to pick on him, and it's—it's not fair! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go keep him company."

Brittany watched in disbelief as the round little chipmunk made her way across the cafeteria and over to Theodore, who was sitting with a couple other girls. _I can't believe this. It's like I'm damned if I do wrong, damned if I do right. I just can't win today!_

Jeanette watched Eleanor leave, frowning. "Maybe we should go after her…?" she suggested hesitantly.

"Don't bother, Jeanette. If she wants to be his 'knight in shining armor', let her. She'll learn that lesson the hard way," Brittany muttered bitterly. _If she wants to go down that road, fine. See if I care._

* * *

_Author's Note: Aww, poor Brittany! It seems like everyone's against her._

_So, Charlene finally meets the Chipmunks and the Chipettes! This chapter was special: it was only from Brittany's point of view. Next will be Charlene's. For the most part, from now on, this story will be told from Brittany and Alvin's perspective, so as not to ruin whatever Charlene has planned._

_Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks so much to Contemperina for being a wonderful beta reader and just an all-around sweetheart. God bless her! _


	5. Chapter 5

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 5**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Notes: Been a while since I uploaded something for Brittany's story!_

_In all honesty, I hate Charlene. She just struck me as extremely oversexualized in her first appearance. But I really want too see this through, but after this chapter, it'll be from mostly Brittany and Alvin's perspective, since I think adding Charlene's in will only spoil later events._

_Sorry for the wait, guys! This one has been bugging me for a while, I couldn't come up with anything to write up!_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_XOXOXOXOXO_

"Come on, girls!" Brittany shouted behind her, running into their spacious backyard. "I want to get some practice in before dinner!"

Eleanor and Jeanette followed close behind, struggling to keep up with their older sister.

"Brittany, _wait up!" _Eleanor called out, panting slightly. "Why the rush?"

"Yeah, we can always do it _after_ dinner," Jeanette added, her stomach rumbling as if to confirm it.

"I know, but I have a lot of homework to do, and I don't know if I'll have time to finish practicing," Brittany sighed, coming to a stop under the large tree in the corner of their backyard. "Will you guys please help me out?"

Eleanor and Jeanette looked to each other before sighing in resignation. Brittany knew that they also had a lot on their plate, but she was happy that they took the time out to help her.

"Alright, Brittany," Eleanor said, sitting down. "This won't take too long, right?"

"Nope! Only a few flips and stuff," Brittany said, waving the idea away.

"Um," Jeanette mumbled, wringing her hands together. "Do you really think Raven will let you on the team?"

"They'll have to!" Brittany said, confidence flaring in her eyes. "I'll show them."

Eleanor did a couple of warm-up stretches, looking over at Brittany as she bent over to touch her toes. Brittany was impressed: the last time she had seen Eleanor attempt this, she could barely do it. Now, she had done it with little effort.

"Well, if I help you with your cheer-leading, will you help me with my exercises?" Eleanor asked, standing up and rolling her shoulders around.

"Sure," Brittany said, nodding. "I'm impressed, Ellie. You're really serious about this this time, aren't you?"

Eleanor smiled, nodding. "I sure am! I'm not backing out this time."

"But," Brittany continued, helping Jeanette get out of her jacket. "I hope you're doing this for _yourself_ rather than to impress some guy."

She knew Eleanor knew who she was talking about. Eleanor looked slightly taken aback, but she recovered quickly.

"It's mostly for me," Eleanor said truthfully. "But, it doesn't hurt to want to help someone along the way, right?"

Brittany smiled. Her baby sister was always thinking of how to help others. When it came to the ones she cared about, she would do all she could to protect them.

"Do you and Theodore plan to go out anytime soon?" Jeanette asked.

"SHHHH!" Eleanor and Brittany hissed, covering Jeanette's mouth. They both glanced back at the glass door, hoping that no one had overheard her. When they were convinced that no one was around, they released her.

"Sheesh, Jeanette," Brittany scolded. "You really need to watch what you say! We don't want them to know!"

"Oh, sorry," Jeanette apologized, blushing.

"To answer your question..." Eleanor whispered, smoothing out her skirt. "I'm not sure yet. It has to be just the right time."

Brittany agreed, stretching out each leg. "I say take your time. It's never a good idea to rush into things."

Eleanor twitched her nose nervously. "But, what if I wait too long, and he finds somebody else? Or, he loses interest?"

Brittany had to stifle a laugh. Find somebody else? She couldn't be suggesting that one of them might take him from her? That was certainly out of the question. And it would be too awkward to think that he'd start a relationship beyond friendship with one of those humans. Also, even though she didn't really know Theodore that well, she could tell that he had a real soft spot for Eleanor. If it wasn't love, it was only a matter of time until it developed into it.

"Get real, Ellie!" Brittany laughed, patting Eleanor's back. "You first have to be friends! After all, lovers are just friends who take their bond into the next level."

"Thanks, Britt," Eleanor said gratefully, beaming up at her.

Brittany gave the small chipmunk a squeeze before moving a good distance away from them. Lifting her arms up, and taking a deep breath, she performed a series of back flips. Eleanor and Jeanette looked on in shock as she did them with, seemingly, little to no effort at all. Brittany stopped on the fifth flip, feeling that she shouldn't push herself.

Jeanette seemed to be the only one who was able to speak, Eleanor still looking on in bewilderment.

"Brittany, when – how did you learn to do that?" Jeanette said, incredulous.

Brittany grinned, smoothing out her hair. "I've been doing them privately, at least once a week! Ever since we moved in with Dave, I decided to practice."

Suddenly forming an idea, she looked over her two sisters. She had often seen the cheerleaders in her school do a complicated formation where two would clasp hands on top of a "pyramid", and one would do a back flip onto their hands.

_I just know I'll impress Ray if I can do something like that! _Brittany thought, rushing over and taking their hands.

"Girls, let's try something," she said, leading them over into a nice clearing. "Clasp your hands with each other. Very firmly."

Eleanor nodded, taking Jeanette's hands and clasping tightly. Jeanette looked over at Brittany with uncertain eyes.

"What are you going to do, Britt?" she asked shakily.

"I'm just going to try and land on your hands from a back flip," Brittany said simply, backing away. "Don't worry, all you have to do is hold onto each other."

"O-Oh..." Jeanette said, gulping. "I'm not that good at things like this."

_That's what she **always **says..._

Brittany shook her head, a small smile on her face. She stretched out her arms, bracing herself for the stunt. She took a quick glance behind her to make sure they were prepared. Once she thought everything was set, she did another series of back flips.

After about four flips, she prepared to finish on the fifth. She propelled herself off her arms, expecting to land perfectly on her sisters' hands. Unfortunately, she overshot the landing and fell painfully into the bushes. Her ankle was the first to land, with a sharp, searing pain shooting through it. She gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes shut, clutching at her leg.

Horrified, Jeanette and Eleanor rushed over to help. Jeanette gently propped Brittany up so that she was sitting upright. Eleanor rubbed her leg, concern in her eyes.

"Brittany, did you break it?" Eleanor asked in alarm, seeing the skin under Brittany's fur begin to redden.

Brittany hissed in pain, barely able to respond. "No, I don't think so. I think it's only a sprain."

"Then we have to tell Dave!" Eleanor said, moving to rush inside the house.

A paw shot out and grabbed her hand, stopping her. Eleanor looked back as Brittany, with the help of Jeanette, did her best to stand up. She took care not to put too much weight on her foot.

"No, I'm fine," Brittany lied, biting her lip.

Eleanor rolled her eyes. "No, you're _not._ Dave really should take a look at that! It might get worse."

"You don't understand," Brittany whined, clasping her hands together and pleading with Eleanor. "If Dave does think it's something serious, he won't let me try out for the squad! I can't have that, can I?"

"The squad can't be more important than your ankle," Eleanor protested, folding her arms over her chest.

Jeanette held Brittany's shoulders, looking worried. "She's right, Brittany. Are you sure you want to risk it by not telling Dave?"

"Don't worry," Brittany assured them, putting slight pressure on her ankle. It hurt like hell. But, she remarkably was able to mask the pain, smiling at the two of them. "See? It doesn't hurt that bad now. I'll just stay off of it for a little while, and it'll be good as new."

Jeanette seemed to be convinced, nodding her head. Eleanor, as Brittany knew all too well, was a lot harder to convince. Her spring-green eyes scanned over her, looking for any sign that she was faking. Brittany held her smile, hoping with all her might that Eleanor wouldn't tell. After a few tense seconds, Eleanor nodded.

"Alright, I guess you'll be okay," Eleanor said. "But we're going to help you inside. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

"Thanks," Brittany sighed.

Jeanette and Eleanor put each of Brittany's arms around their shoulders and half-dragged, half-carried her back inside the house. Brittany was worried that Dave was inside the kitchen, that he would immediately ask what was wrong. Fortunately, he wasn't, likely being upstairs somewhere. Brittany instructed her sisters to put her on the couch. She rested against the pillows, smiling at them.

"I'll be fine, girls," Brittany said, waving a hand at them. "Go do what you have to do!"

"Is there anything you need?" Jeanette asked, glancing down at her ankle.

"Yeah, I don't want you hurting yourself even more," Eleanor said, sitting down beside her.

Brittany briefly considered the idea. _It __**would**_ _be nice having someone wait on me hand and foot..._

She shook her head. Both to decline their offer, and to also clear her head of such manipulative thoughts. They were genuinely concerned for her, and she could never feel right taking advantage of them like that.

"No, thank you," Brittany said, picking up the remote and resting it in her lap. "You guys go on! I'm telling you, I'll be better in no time."

Jeanette and Eleanor looked at each other and nodded before scurrying back upstairs to finish their own homework. Brittany supposed that it would be a good idea to use this time wisely, but homework was never something she looked forward to.

_Oh, I'll just do it later,_ she thought with a sly smile.

Her ears detected the light footfalls of someone coming down the stairs. She immediately knew it wasn't Dave, so she looked over the cushions to see. To her chagrin, it was her uncle.

"Oh brother," she mumbled, turning away and sliding down as much as she could. "That's _just_ what I need..."

She hoped that he was only coming down there for something to eat or drink. Surely he was watching something good with the boys?

"Brittany? Is that you hiding over there?" Roy said, hopping onto the arm of the couch and peering down at her.

She rubbed her forehead, sighing. "Hello, Uncle Roy. How are you?"

"I'm doing great, thank you," he replied coolly, eying her suspiciously. "And why are you sitting here in front of the T.V when you have homework to do?"

"Er..." Brittany fished around for a good excuse. "Cramps! You know, the girly kind."

"Oh!" Roy blushed, scratching the back of his head. She knew that when it came to female problems like this, he didn't want to stick around for long. "Well, I hope you feel better soon!"

Brittany inwardly cheered. Now she could enjoy her recovery time in peace.

Just as he was about to leave, however, his eyes snapped over to her right leg. It was still red from her injury, it sticking out noticeably on top of a pillow. She quickly pulled it close to her, but Roy already knew.

"Brittany," he said firmly, folding his arms. Even though he was known to be laid back and relaxed, he could be strict and no-nonsense when he needed to be. Especially since their parents weren't around, he felt that he had to be a parental figure at times. "Did you hurt your leg?"

"Well," Brittany stuttered, avoiding his eyes. "It's just a little scrape. Nothing serious!"

Roy narrowed his eyes at her, unconvinced. Brittany sighed, pleading with her eyes.

"Please, don't tell Dave," Brittany whispered. "It doesn't even hurt!"

Roy hopped down next to her, poking her in the foot. She screamed in pain,immediately covering her mouth. She glanced at the stairway, praying that no one had heard her.

"'Doesn't hurt', huh?" Roy smirked.

"Okay, maybe it hurts a _little_ bit," Brittany mumbled, folding her arms and pouting.

Roy shook his head disapprovingly. "I don't appreciate you lying to me like that. Why would you do that?"

Brittany remained silent, staring at the television screen. She reasoned that if she ignored him long enough, he would get the hint and go away.

"Ignoring me is only going to piss me off," he said bluntly, staring down at her.

Brittany jumped slightly. "Okay, fine. I figured you'd just go blabbing to Dave and I couldn't practice for the squad."

"Who cares about some silly cheer-leading squad?" Roy said, rolling his eyes. "Don't you think there's things more important than that?"

"It's important to _me_," Brittany snapped, glaring up at him. "This might be my only chance in a long while! I don't want to risk not trying out all because of a stupid, sprained ankle."

Roy sighed deeply. "Dammit, you're so stubborn. Just like your daddy."

Brittany looked down sadly. Both at the mention of her father, and the fact that Roy was right: she was being awfully bull-headed. She just _really_ wanted to get on that team. She would be the first chipmunk _ever_ to be on a cheer-leading squad. She couldn't pass that up!

"Sorry," she mumbled. "But I'm not letting this get in the way of my goal."

"I guess I can admire that a little," Roy shrugged. "Stubbornness really isn't a negative trait in general: it can be good to have set opinions and goals. But, you know, that sprain could get a _lot_ worse."

Brittany peered down at her sensitive ankle.

_He does have a point,_ she thought, tilting her head. _But if I wrap it up, Dave will definitely know something's up._

"Stay put," Roy ordered, jumping off the couch heading straight for the kitchen. Brittany watched him go, bewildered. She heard the sound of the microwave door opening and closing, and the light beeps as he entered in the time on the buttons. After a few seconds, he opened it back open, and carried a small cup back into the living room. He held a long piece of paper towel in one hand as he gently lifter her ankle with the other.

"What are you doing?" Brittany asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hush, girl," he said. He soaked the paper towel in the warm water for a moment before wrapping it tightly around her sore ankle. The warmth immediately soothed the pain, making Brittany sigh in relief. He carefully set the ankle back on the pillow, before moving to return the cup back to the kitchen.

She was silent the whole time he was gone. Even after all the nonsense she had put him through, he still found a way to care about her. She knew she hadn't been very hospitable to him ever since he decided to stay with them for a few weeks. Brittany began to wonder if she had been unfair to him...

_I really should go thank him. I've been a bit mean to him, and here he is helping me out. I'm going to tell him right now!_

She looked down at the floor. To her, it looked like a long drop from her position on top of the couch and to the floor. She didn't think her poor ankle could handle the stress.

"But I could totally use a nice, long bath..."

Sighing deeply, she steeled herself. She hopped down, trying her best to keep any pressure off of her right foot. Surprisingly, she managed to do this well. Relieved, she half-limped, half-climbed her way upstairs, keen on making it into her room before Dave or any of the boys seeing her.

She made it to the top of the landing, panting heavily. _Phew, maybe I should start working out with Eleanor..._

Thankfully, her room was only a few feet away. The boys, just next door, were blasting some kind of rock music. It was so loud, she doubted they could hear anything softer than a bomb! She rolled her eyes. No doubt it was Alvin rocking out in there.

She walked over to her door, about to push it open, when just then Alvin came out into the hallway, playing his "air guitar."

"Heya, Britt!" Alvin said cheerfully, showing off that trademark, dazzling smile. Brittany's heart skipped a beat, feeling a blush coming on. She fought it off, though, and placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

"Hi," she said coldly, rolling her eyes.

"Okay," Alvin said, holding up his hands. "What did I do this time?"

"You _know _I didn't want to be partners with Charlene!" Brittany snapped, a little louder than was necessary. "It was only supposed to be the two of us! Haven't you ever heard that old saying: 'three's a crowd'?"

Granted, maybe she didn't have to yell at him. Sure, maybe she was taking out a bit of her frustration from earlier on him. But she really was irritated that he had allowed that... that... _girl,_ to work with them! Was he completely stupid when it came to girls?

"Aw, man, are you _still_ mad about that?" Alvin said in exasperation, ruffling his hair. He rested a paw on her shoulder. "Charlene's a _great_ partner. You just have to give her a chance."

"I already _did_ give her a chance," Brittany said bitterly. Memories of their conversation in the lunch line the day before just made her angrier. She was convinced that Charlene had two sides: the sweet, innocent side she showed to Alvin, his brothers, and her sisters. And the conniving, snide side she seemed to save just for Brittany. If Alvin couldn't see that for himself, that was just too bad. Brittany refused to subject herself to that kind of situation again. Even if it did mean missing out on some quality time with him.

"I'm not working with her and that's _final_," Brittany reiterated, tapping her left floor. She didn't want him to notice the bandaged one, which she cleverly kept out of his view. "If you don't tell her to find another group, I'll just work alone."

Alvin's hazel eyes widened, hurt evident in his face. "You can't be serious?"

She hated it when he gave her that look. She truly did. It was so hard to be stern with him when he did that. But she refused to conform to it.

"I'm very serious, Alvin," she said, nodding her head for emphasis. "Charlene may be your _friend,_" she made sure to emphasize this part. "But I don't trust her as far as I can throw her. She hasn't given me any good reason to."

Alvin stared back at her blankly for a few seconds. Then, unexpectedly, he grinned and folded his own arms, eying her knowingly.

She narrowed her blue eyes at him suspiciously. "What?"

"Brittany. _Baby~"_ he smiled.

She glared at him. He coughed, getting the hint.

"You're not jealous, are you?" he asked, a small smile showing.

Brittany wasn't expecting that. Now that she really considered it, a small, tiny part of her _was _a little jealous of the seemingly close friendship between Alvin and Charlene. Alvin had confirmed that it was nothing serious, and she did believe him. Deep down, she trusted him. The one she _didn't_ trust was Charlene. But there was no way she was going to let him know that.

She leaned into him, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Do not change the subject!"

Alvin shrugged, still wearing that irritating smirk.

"Here's what it's going to be," she said firmly. "It's either drop Charlene, and we work together on this project, or _don't_ and I just drop out and work solo. It's your call."

Alvin's jaw dropped, completely at a loss for words.

Satisfied that he now knew where she stood, she coolly walked into her bedroom and closed the door behind her.

XOXOXOXOXO

Charlene hopped up the stairs after her new manager, ignoring anything he had to say. _Good lord, he's such a pain in the butt. But I only have to deal with him for a little while, until I find a good reason to move onto better pastures..._

She had confessed about her and Brittany's conversation on her first day of school. Ian hadn't approved of her letting onto her dislike of her, or at least not so early on. He was worried the six chipmunks would catch on and know that he was scheming. If you could even call it that. Charlene had little doubt that his plan would involve her trying to ruin the Chipmunks and the Chipettes in some silly, mundane way. Thankfully, Charlene already came on board with a plan of her own.

"Listen! Charlene, are you even listening to me!" Ian snapped, opening the door to their shared apartment.

Charlene rolled her eyes, scurrying over to her bed. "Yes, I'm listening."

"Then what did I just say?" Ian challenged, folding his arms.

Charlene smirked at him. "'Charlene, are you even listening to me?'"

Ian's face flushed red in anger. "You know what I meant!"

Charlene waved her paw at him, disinterested. "Oh, settle down. Nobody will believe ol' Brittany anyway. Me and Alvin have a history. She barely knows anything about him, and that's going to be useful in the long run."

Ian grumbled, plopping down on his couch and turning on the television. "Well, fine, whatever. Just make sure you don't screw anything up."

Charlene rolled her eyes silently, running into the kitchen and keen on finding a snack. She easily scaled up to the cupboard, finding a container of nuts and pushing it out. It landed with a loud _clang!_, startling Ian and making him whirl around.

"What the -? What are you doing now?" He yelled.

Charlene cringed at his loud, obnoxious voice. "Getting myself a snack. Would you _relax_?"

Ian grumbled to himself, turning back to whatever show he was previously watching. "Fine, fine. So, besides Brittany, who else did you talk to?"

"Her sister, Jeanette," Charlene said, peeling off the top of the container and eating a few nuts. "She seems a lot more... timid, than her other sisters."

"Jeanette?" Ian said, rubbing his stubbled chin. "That's the fat one, right?"

Charlene rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief. "No, that's Eleanor. Jeanette's the tallest one, remember?"

"Oh, right, right!" Ian laughed.

_How in the world do you forget the names of three girls you managed for a few months? _Charlene wondered, munching on another nut.

"So, how are my former _kids_ doing?" Ian asked, crossing his legs.

"They're doing fine without you, it seems," Charlene snickered, replacing the top on the container.

Ian huffed indignantly. "I'm sure Dave is making a fortune off those little money-makers..."

"Well, I'll be bringing in the money now," Charlene reassured him, taking out her ponytail so she could brush out her hair. "Just leave it all to me."

"Leave it all to you?" Ian said, turning towards her again. "What, you're not seriously telling me you have some sort of plan? You need me!"

Charlene resisted the urge to scoff at him. _Me need him? Please..._

"Whose the one who's going to be there _talking_ to the Chipmunks and Chipettes, hm? You?" Charlene retorted. Ian looked away awkwardly. "No. It's going to be me. So, a lot of this plan depends on _me_."

"Alright, alright, I see your point," Ian sighed, folding his arms in a childish manner. "Just make sure you don't screw things up. So, besides Brittany, does anyone else have a beef against you?"

"Nope, I'm sure they don't," Charlene said, hopping off the counter and moving to sit beside Ian. "In fact, I think Jeanette thinks mighty highly of me."

"Jeanette, huh?" Ian laughed. "That's a shocker! She seemed kind of antisocial to me. Real scaredy."

Charlene shrugged her shoulders, running the small brush through her hair. Ian sat in silence for a few golden moments before snapping his fingers, a wide, cheesy grin on his face. Charlene mentally groaned, already disliking whatever stupid idea he got in his head.

"I've got it! Why don't you try out for some activity?" Ian suggested, looking down at her. "You know, to get yourself known?"

_Wow, I'm impressed,_ Charlene thought with a smirk. _He's not a total doofus after all._

"How about chorus?" Charlene said, crossing her legs.

"Oh, I like that!" Ian said, rubbing his hands together. "Are any of them in there too?"

Charlene shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Damn. Make sure to look into that, though," Ian sighed, deflating. He flipped through the channels, much to Charlene's annoyance. She was actually enjoying that romance flick! "What do you want to meet the Chipmunks for, anyway? The Chipettes wanted to meet them because they were in _love_ with them, or something..."

"Me and Alvin knew each other from way back," Charlene explained, looking at her nails in great interest. "I knew his brothers through him. I don't know them as much, though, but we're all still cool."

"Ah," Ian grinned slyly. "You and Alvin have a thing, eh?"

"Ew!" Charlene snapped, rolling her eyes dramatically. "No way. As if."

Of course, a large part of why she wanted to do all this was to renew her relationship with him. But Ian didn't need to know all of that, right? He was just supposed to help her get to where she wanted to be, and that was it.

"Sure, sure," Ian snickered, unconvinced. Nevertheless, he didn't pursue the subject. "Anything else interesting happen?"

"Nothing much. Me, Alvin, and Brittany are working on some history project," she said.

"Well," Ian said, rolling his eyes. "That's not totally _boring_."

Ian suddenly sat up, dramatically striking a pose. Charlene found the whole scene incredibly amusing, especially since he looked completely serious.

"Alright, I want you to dig up any and all information on those little, furry freaks!" Ian ordered. Charlene scowled at him. "No offense."

"And just what do you plan to do with all of that information, hm?" Charlene challenged, folding her arms.

He rubbed his hands together, looking as if he was salivating over a favorite meal. "Stir up some drama."

Charlene raised her eyebrows, interested.

"If we can cause some tension between them, maybe they'll begin to fight amongst themselves, and eventually fall," Ian said, grinning wider with every moment he though about his plan. "It's foolproof."

"So," Charlene said slowly. "You want me to _use_ them to our advantage?"

"Precisely," Ian confirmed.

_Of course, I won't actually be __**using**__ Alvin,_she reasoned. _Just bending the situation to better suit our relationship. No one will actually get hurt, and it's not like I'll be forcing them to do anything they don't want to. In fact, they might just thank me in the end._

Charlene agreed, nodding her head. "Alright, let's put this plan in action."

XOXOXOXOXO

_Ugh, why did she have to give me an ultimatum? Why! It's not **my** fault Charlene wanted to be my partner! And how would I look if I said no to her? We've been friends since we were kits! _

Alvin thought all of this while in a sour mood, furiously chowing down his lunch. He barely pain any attention to the conversation his friends were having.

He glanced towards Brittany, who was sitting with her regular group of friends. He waved at her, hoping that she wasn't serious about what she had said the previous night. No such luck: Brittany simply looked away pointedly, laughing at something Stephanie said.

Alvin groaned and rubbed the back of his head. _Chicks, I swear..._

It was times like this (it was VERY rare he needed advice with the ladies, though) that he wished he had someone who was an expert on women. He would have asked Simon, who was a nerd in every sense of the word, but he greatly doubted Simon knew anything involving girls. Brittany, in the short time they had known each other, had wormed her way into his heart. He wouldn't call it love yet, but she was _definitely_ important to him. There was no way he was willing to risk losing any time with her!

Trent looked down at him from his milkshake. "What's up, Alvin? You haven't been talking much."

Alvin sighed, telling them what had happened between him and Brittany the night prior. Trent sat, silently listening and occasionally nodding his head. Ryan only listened with mild interest.

"Alvin, come _on_," Ryan said irritably, clicking his tongue. "There's a simple answer to all of this: just pick the hotter girl! Done!"

Alvin stared up at him blankly. Trent coughed, nudging Ryan in the ribs.

"Dude, don't be stupid," Trent said. He leveled himself with Alvin. "Which girl do you like better?"

Alvin bit his lip, nervous.

"Me and Charlene go way back," Alvin said, kicking a grape away and watching it roll across the tabletop. "It'd be nice to catch up, you know?"

"Right," Ryan nodded. "Then she's the -"

"_But_," Alvin cut in, holding up a hand to hush him. "Brittany means a lot to me too. I don't want to hurt her like that. I might even lose my chance at something _more_ with her!"

Ryan huffed, rolling his eyes. "Why won't they work together again?"

Alvin shrugged, not totally sure himself. "Beats me. They must have had some sort of fight without me noticing, and now Brittany doesn't want to have anything to do with her."

"That's complicated," Ryan said bluntly. "Sucks to be you."

Alvin sneered at him. "Gee, thanks..."

"Well, I'm no expert," Trent started, setting down his milkshake. "But maybe it'd be cool if you could show Brittany that you can be considerate of her feelings _and_ your feelings."

"And just _how_ do I do that?" Alvin snapped.

Ryan and Trent shrugged.

"Just puttin' it out there, man," Trent said, smiling.

Alvin sighed in defeat, looking over to the auburn chipmunk. She was smiling brightly at her friends. He couldn't help but smile whenever she did it.

_I'll prove it in History Class,_ he thought. _I'll fix this somehow._

XOXOXOXOXO

_Author's Note: Hallelujah! :D_

_I finally finished this chapter after ages of brainstorming. So sorry for the wait, but thank you for your patience!_

_Looks like Alvin needs to find a way to satisfy both Brittany and Charlene. And poor Brittany! I can't blame her for not wanting to tolerate Charlene after what she went through. But is Charlene really all that bad?_

_Stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 6**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Note: Man, am I glad to get back to work on this story! I'm working on this and 'Take Me Away' at the same time, so these two stories will be updated a lot._

_Please enjoy!_

_XOXOXOXOXO_

ALVIN

He stomped into his bedroom, ignoring the questioning and annoyed looks from Theodore and Simon. He threw his heavy backpack in the corner, not caring that it made a loud _bam! _when it hit the floor.

Theodore and Simon glanced at each other as Alvin sighed dramatically, allowing his body to flop ungracefully on top of his red beanbag chair. He sunk into the soft material, his groaning muffled.

"Alvin, is everything alright?" Theodore finally asked, watching his eldest brother's tail flick around irritably. "You don't look well."

Simon rolled his eyes, returning to his homework assignment. "Don't mind him, Theodore. He's just being dramatic."

Alvin felt a vein in his head throb at their words. He quickly sat up and spun around, shooting them both a glare. Theodore jumped slightly at the sudden movement while Simon's eyes snapped back up to meet his own hazel ones.

"I need some advice, so can you just put that stupid book down and help me?" Alvin snapped. "I was hoping me sighing and stuff would get you to do that, but _no_!"

Theodore shifted uncomfortably on his bed. Simon willed himself not to lose patience with his older brother. Maybe something was really bothering Alvin this time. He wasn't one to ask for advice often, so what would it hurt to help?

"Alright, Alvin. What seems to be troubling you?" Simon asked, carefully setting aside his notebook and pencil.

After making sure he had both Simon's and Theodore's attention, Alvin stood up to pace in front of the television. Theodore and Simon glanced at each other again, worry now evident in their eyes. Whenever Alvin paced about something, it was sure to be pretty serious.

"It's Brittany and Charlene," Alvin admitted, sighing deeply. "I just don't understand why. I mean, they've barely been around each other for a week, and Brittany already hates her! We're supposed to be working together on our Social Studies project, but now Britt says that I better drop Charlene or she'll find another partner! I'm in a real tough spot, guys," he finished with a shake of his head.

Simon and Theodore stood in stunned silence for a few seconds, trying to register all of what Alvin had confessed to them. Theodore nervously bit his lip and looked away, obviously not knowing what to say to help him in this situation. Simon rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"W-Well," Theodore stuttered, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Have you been, um... _dating_ both of them?"

Alvin gawked at him. Did Theodore just insinuate that he was two-timing both girls? What made him think he'd do something like that? _And I still haven't forgotten that stunt he pulled, that little twerp. And he's got the nerve to accuse me of something like that?_

"What do you take me for?" Alvin said dangerously, narrowing his golden eyes. Theodore flinched, cowering slightly. "I might be a lot of things, but I'm no _cheater._ Get it straight," he growled. Theodore quickly nodded, looking apologetic. "Britt and Charlene must have had a falling out without me knowing, and now Britt won't have anything to do with her!"

Theodore grew silent, looking to Simon for help. Simon still looked deep in thought, however, only occasionally giving forth a soft hum. This annoyed Alvin to no end, and he began to tap his foot impatiently.

"I don't have all year!" Alvin said, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "Come on, give me _something_."

Simon sneered at him. "I don't know, Alvin! I'm not a miracle worked," he snapped, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "Are you willing to choose one of them over the other? It's just a project, after all."

Alvin shook his head furiously. "No! I can't pick. That will just end up hurting their feelings."

"Well then, the only thing I can suggest is that you talk to both of them and try to find some common ground," Simon offered.

"You sound just like Trent," Alvin grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. His friend had also suggested he try and please both girls. _How_ he was supposed to do that, he had no idea! "How am I going to pull that off? Huh?"

Simon shrugged, returning to his homework. He was obviously tired of the conversation. Theodore shrugged.

"Sorry, Alvin," Theodore said.

"Whatever," Alvin sighed, pouting as he plopped into his chair again.

_I knew Theodore and Simon wouldn't know the first thing about handling girls, _he thought miserably. He tapped his foot again, closing his eyes. _There just has to be a way for me to work this out..._

Alvin suddenly shot to his feet again, pointing to the sky victoriously and thoroughly scaring the life out of his little brothers. "AHA!"

Simon clutched at his racing heart, looking about to faint. Theodore looked equally bewildered, nearly falling off of his bed.

"Did you come up with something?" Theodore inquired.

"I am a total genius," Alvin boasted, grinning widely. He turned to Simon and Theodore, who watched him intently. "Why didn't I think of it before? I'll just work with _both_ of them!"

"But – " Simon tried to say.

"I'll just work with both of them, but on _separate_ projects!" Alvin said proudly. "That way, Britt and Charlene don't have to work together. Brilliant, right?"

Simon and Theodore stared blankly back at him. Alvin's smile wavered.

"What?" he asked.

"Alvin, do you _really _think that's a good idea?" Simon said slowly, obviously doubting him. "I really doubt that will work out well."

"Oh, relax," Alvin said, smirking. "I know what I'm doing."

"I agree with Simon," Theodore said softly. "I don't think this is such a good idea."

Alvin ignored him, returning, once again, to his favorite chair and booting up his Xbox.

_I'm sure this will work out, _he thought confidently. _What could go wrong?_

_XOXOXOXOXO_

The following day, Alvin and Brittany walked to their Social Studies class together, as they usually did. To his relief, Brittany seemed to have calmed down from their small confrontation from the previous day. While Alvin couldn't deny that he liked getting Brittany riled up sometimes, seeing her genuinely angry had an effect on him.

_But I know, as soon as we get in that classroom, she'll ask me what I decided, _Alvin thought, nervously biting his lip. _Maybe they were right. What if this doesn't work out?_

Alvin hated himself for feeling so nervous and uncertain. This wasn't him at all! But all he could do was pray that he would find some sort of solution before things got out of hand.

The pair finally reached their destination, making it in just before the bell sounded. Mr. Duskmorne closed the door behind his tiny students before motioning for them to quickly take their seats. Alvin and Brittany scurried over to their usual places, where Charlene was waiting. She smiled and waved cheerfully at them, making him wince. Alvin glanced over at Brittany, who scowled back at her.

_Oh boy,_ Alvin groaned inwardly, sitting beside Brittany as she sat beside Charlene. To his surprise and slight dread, Charlene got up, gathered her things, and casually walked along the surface of the desk before sitting down on the opposite side of him. Brittany blushed slightly, but didn't comment. Alvin sunk slightly, now stuck between them. _Why me?_

"Alright, class," Mr. Duskmorne began, taking his place at his desk. "I want you to take advantage of the class period and get a good start on your research. Remember, the project is due next Friday, so no lolly-gagging."

His students eagerly moved around the room to join their respective partners, chatting excitedly. Alvin broke out into a cold sweat, desperately searching for a way out of the situation. _Anything._

"So, Alvin, Brittany," Charlene said sweetly, smiling at the two of them. "Are you guys ready to work on France? I'm so excited, that place is so romantic. Don't you think?"

Brittany forced a smile. "Actually, Charlene. Alvin and I originally planned to work on Jamaica. Right, Alvin?" she added, shooting a meaningful glance to the nervous boy.

"What? But, Alvin..." Charlene turned to him, furrowing a brow. "Don't you want to work on France instead?"

Both girls stared at him, awaiting his response. Alvin pulled at his collar, feeling extremely hot from the pressure. Never before had Alvin wished that he wasn't in the spotlight! What could he say to avoid offending or hurting either of them? But, as much as he hated to admit it, his brothers had a point: he couldn't just work on separate projects. That might make his situation even worse.

"W-Well, Charlene, Brittany and I _did_ plan on working on Jamaica. Before you got here," Alvin said reluctantly. "So..."

Brittany looked relieved and pleased at his words. Charlene, to Alvin's horror, looked at him tearfully.

"B-But that's not fair, Alvin. We haven't seen each other in so long. _Years!_" she cried, a little too loud for comfort. A few of the students turned their heads to look at them, making Alvin shift uncomfortably. Brittany was completely unmoved by the spectacle, folding her arms and rolling her eyes. "Can't you take the time out for an old friend? I thought you wanted me to feel at home..."

"I do!" Alvin said quickly, trying his best to calm the blonde down. While the situation was quickly taking a turn for the worst, he simply hated seeing girls cry.

"T-Then..." Charlene sniffled, crying softly into her paws. By now, most of the class had turned to glare at Alvin, some whispering that he was cruel to treat the "new girl" like this.

Alvin turned to Brittany, desperate for her help. Brittany eyed him suspiciously. He could tell by her expression that she was wondering if he would back out. Alvin, at this point, just wanted Charlene to stop crying, and was willing to beg with the pink Chipette if need be.

"Britt, please," he hissed, looking into her eyes. "_Please_, can we work with her?"

"Alvin," Brittany said firmly. "I told you I don't want to. I – "

"I know, I know," Alvin groaned. "But please, do this for me. Not for her, but for _me_. I don't know what happened between you two, but can you please tolerate her? Just for this project?" he pleaded. Brittany glared at him, unmoving. "I promise I'll make it up to you, Britt. Please."

Brittany looked at him, anger in her electric-blue eyes. Alvin flinched slightly, but tried his best to show her his best "puppy dog" eyes. Brittany stared back at him for a few seconds before sighing deeply, letting him know that she gave in. A small part of Alvin felt bad for pulling her into a situation she was uncomfortable with, but another part of him felt she deserved to know how he felt when she had tried to force him to choose.

"Thanks, Britt," he smiled.

"Whatever," Brittany mumbled. She then turned and poked him painfully in the chest. "You owe me _big time_, Alvin."

"Promise," Alvin grinned, nodding.

"Charlene," Brittany called, cutting her eyes at the sobbing girl.

Charlene looked up, her cheeks glistening with her tears. "Y-Yes, Brittany?"

"You can work with us," Brittany said, looking as if saying each word physically hurt her. She raised a finger, wagging it. "But we're picking Jamaica. Okay?"

"Okay!" Charlene said, her mood quickly changing to that of elation. If no one had seen her earlier display and the tears on her cheeks, they wouldn't have any clue that she had previously broken down. "Thank you!"

Alvin sighed in relief. "Great! Let's get started."

The students who were nosily listening in soon turned back to their own assignments, much to Alvin and Brittany's relief.

The three chipmunks used their time wisely for the rest of the class period. Since Alvin knew a lot more about Jamaica than the girls, Charlene and Brittany wrote out a general outline as he described the hotspot. After recording some of the basic information, they decided to divide up the remaining work evenly amongst themselves. Alvin offered to research famous attractions, historical events, and popular music. Brittany promised to look up the common religions, important people, and political events. Finally, Charlene vowed to research the geographical location, culture, and popular media.

Finally, the bell rang and signaled for them to move to their next class. Mr. Duskmorne gave a final reminder for them to try and work on their assignments outside of class. Brittany filled her bag with her supplies before hopping off the desk, stopping at the front door and looking to Alvin. Alvin always took the opportunity to walk Brittany to her Design class. He messily stuffed his papers and folders into his backpack, lazily swinging it over his shoulder before jumping off of the desk and making his way towards his counterpart. However, a gentle grip on his paw stopped him in his tracks.

He looked back to see Charlene. He glanced back at Brittany, who folded her arms impatiently.

"What's up, Charlene?" Alvin asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. He wasn't mad at Charlene, but he didn't want her to get him into any more trouble than she already had.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Charlene asked. "It'll be really quick, I promise."

"Sure, hold on," Alvin said. He walked over to Brittany, who gave him a suspicious glare. "Uh, Britt. Can you wait for me? I promise, I'll be right back."

"Sure," Brittany said, hugging her small textbook to her chest.

"Thanks," Alvin said, quickly returning to Charlene. "What's going on?"

"To make things short, I'm a bit upset that we didn't get to find enough time to catch up yet," Charlene sighed. Alvin felt a pang of guilt. He honestly did want to catch up with his friend, but he just couldn't find the time. "So, I was wondering, would it be okay if I came over to visit sometime? You know, to work on our project," she added quickly.

Alvin's jaw dropped. Was she serious? Come to _his_ house? It was already hard enough trying to stop Brittany from strangling her at school! How was he supposed to prevent a full-on fight between them in his own home?

_Then again, it makes sense, _Alvin reasoned. _It'd make more sense for her to come over to our house, rather than us to go to... ugh... Ian's house._

But Alvin just _knew_ Brittany wasn't going to like this. Not one bit. He had went against her wishes for her to accept Charlene into their group. On the other hand, he truly did miss Charlene. Was it really fair to exclude her?

"I'd like that," Alvin said with a smile. "Why not?"

Charlene gave him a dazzling smile, elated. "Thanks, Alvin!"

Charlene waved at him before sashaying back to their desk to retrieve her own backpack. Alvin watched her petite form move about before quickly shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He turned and dashed back to Brittany, who had been watching them intently.

"What was that all about?" Brittany asked as they walked out into the crowded hallway.

"Oh! Uh," Alvin's heart began to race. He couldn't tell Brittany that he had just agreed to let Charlene come over. She had barely agreed to work with her, and Alvin knew he couldn't push his luck any further. "Charlene just wanted to make sure that she understood what to research for her part."

Alvin cringed at the lie. He hadn't meant to, but he just didn't want to upset Brittany.

For a dreadful moment, Brittany looked unconvinced. His heart pounded painfully against his ribs, expecting her to demand the truth. Alvin had never lied to Brittany before, and he absolutely hated doing it now.

Thankfully, Brittany nodded.

"Oh, I see," she said. She then ran ahead of him, smiling. "Hurry up or we'll be late!"

Alvin sighed deeply, feeling guilt wash all over him. "W-Wait up..."

He could only hope that she wouldn't hate him for his small lie.

XOXOXOXOXO

_Author's Note: I'm so glad to finally post this! Not too exciting, but I loved it anyway._

_I would have been pretty angry if I was Britt, but that's just me! Pretty cool of her to put up with her for Alvin's sake._

_As I stated earlier, from now on, Brittany and Alvin's POV will be the only ones shown. I'm not writing out Charlene's, because then a lot of the story would be predictable and reveal too much of the plot too soon._

_Thanks for reading! Reviews are highly appreciated._


	7. Chapter 7

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 7**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Note: Thanks for the wonderful reviews, everyone! I love reading your opinions._

_Anyway, onto the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy._

_XOXOXOXOXO_

BRITTANY

Tryouts were today.

Brittany was so nervous, she could barely concentrate on her assignments! She had been practicing diligently everyday until now. Luckily, her sprained ankle from a few days ago had healed relatively quick, allowing her to continue her back flips. Although she was dreading auditioning in front of the judges, especially Ray, she was also confident that she would do well.

She had worked hard for this moment, and she was sure it would all pay off today.

_I wish Uncle Roy was here, _Brittany thought sadly. _I never did get to really apologize for treating him like that. I let my pride get the better of me. No matter how popular or big I get, I'll always be a chipmunk. And I'm proud to be one._

Brittany shook her head to clear her thoughts. _I can't think about that right now, though. I have to concentrate!_

She continued down the hallway towards the gymnasium, clutching the hall pass she had gotten from her Literature teacher to her chest. As she rounded the corner and walked down the hall leading to the various Health rooms, she spotted a large group of girls (and even a few boys!) talking and waiting just outside the large double doors. Seeing this, Brittany's stomach churned ever more.

Her ears piqued when she noticed a familiar blonde girl standing near the front of the group. Brittany smiled in relief and waved her arm around, jumping to get her attention. "Stephanie! Hey!"

Stephanie started slightly and looked around for the person who called her name. She smiled when she noticed her tiny chipmunk friend scurrying to her side. She bent down and held out her hand, allowing Brittany to rest on top of it before letting Brittany stand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Britt!" Stephanie greeted, in her usual bubbly manner. "You excited?"

Despite her nervousness, Brittany couldn't help but grin back. Honestly, Stephanie was probably one of her few true, best friends. Stephanie was optimistic, outgoing, friendly, and athletic. She had also taken an interest in cheer-leading even before Brittany enrolled. Stephanie and Brittany also had a slight competitive nature, though not nearly as big as it was with Alvin.

"I am," Brittany replied, rubbing her rounded tummy. She giggled softly. "So excited, I feel like I'm gonna puke!"

"Hey! Not on my new leather jacket!" Stephanie joked, laughing.

Brittany giggled before curiously looking around at her competition. She spotted quite a few acquaintances gathered around, as well as a lot of the more popular teens...

Brittany suddenly did a double take, gritting her teeth. _What is __**she**__ doing here!_

Charlene was only a few feet away, chatting and laughing with a couple of other girls while similarly sitting on one of their shoulders. Why was she here? Brittany had never heard of her being interested in cheer-leading before, so why was she suddenly here, out of the blue?

"I can't believe this. What is she up to now?" Brittany said quietly, only so that Stephanie could hear.

Stephanie followed her line of vision and scowled as well. Stephanie was one of the few people Brittany had confided in about Charlene. Sadly, Brittany couldn't tell her sisters about her problem. Jeanette was too wrapped up in Charlene's suspicious offer of friendship, so wouldn't hear anything against her. Eleanor didn't seem to want to judge her wrongly, so she tried her best to remain "neutral". And Alvin... there was no way he'd believe her. He would only claim that she was making up lies about Charlene because she was jealous. Although Brittany absolutely _hated_ to admit it to herself, but a part of her _was_ jealous. Yet, a larger part of her was annoyed with his unrelenting defense of Charlene. Why couldn't he see how misplaced his trust was?

"Yeah, I don't know what she wants now," Stephanie said slowly, watching the blonde chipmunk straighten out her hair. While Stephanie hadn't had any negative interactions with the girl yet, she trusted Brittany's judgment enough to watch out for her. Although her little friend could be confrontational at times, Stephanie knew Brittany well enough to know that she did not go around making enemies for no reason. It usually took a lot to get on Brittany's bad side. "Don't worry, she can't do much with everyone watching."

"I hope you're right," Brittany said, sighing. She shook her head. "I just know she's up to something, though..."

Suddenly, one of Ray's underlings opened the doors. She was a pretty, Asian girl by the name of Tina. Unlike most of Ray's friends, she was actually pretty nice and charismatic. Brittany never understood why she wasted her time with a sad bunch like them.

"Hey, guys! Sorry for the wait. We're ready for you to come in," Tina announced, leading the way back into the gym.

The group billowed in after her, the chatter slowly dying down. As they entered the large gymnasium, the group noticed the long table placed in front of the folded bleachers. There sat Ray, placed in the middle of four of her fellow cheerleaders. It was likely she had picked her most talented teammates to help her decide. In front of each girl lied a clipboard and pen. A blue mat, which was obviously meant for their routines, rested a safe distance away.

Brittany whimpered, trembling slightly. Stephanie soothingly patted her back.

"Don't sweat it, Britt," Stephanie said encouragingly. "I'm sure you'll do great."

"Thanks, I'm sure you will too," Brittany smiled.

Her smile faded as quickly as it came when she spotted Charlene jump off of her perch and scurry towards the table. Brittany's jaw dropped in shock when she saw her climb up the side of Ray's arm and sit on her shoulder. The two of them smiled at each other, as if they were old friends. Her blood ran cold.

Brittany watched intently as Ray whispered something to Charlene before turning to face them.

"Alright, so! I know all of you have been waiting so long for this very moment," Ray started dramatically, flipping her neat bangs out of her eyes. Brittany groaned softly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "And I'm sure you all will do just fine." Ray glared at some of the plainer and nerdy girls, cutting her jade eyes at them and making them flinch slightly. Brittany couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them. "Well, _some_ of you will do fine."

The girl to Ray's right blew her whistle, instructing the group to organize into a single line and perform their routine one by one. Brittany fidgeted as Stephanie took her place in line. Brittany was grateful that they were near the end of the line.

Brittany and Stephanie eagerly watched as the girls in the front of the line began to do their routines. Although Brittany was confident in her own abilities, she was genuinely impressed with some of them. Quite a few of those trying out were graceful and coordinated, impressing Ray and her fellow judges. However, as to be expected, some were downright horrible and looked like they belonged on American Idol's Worst Auditions. It was obvious that a few of them never picked up a pompom in all their lives. Each time someone finished their routine, Charlene would whisper something into Ray's ear.

Brittany's blood boiled. _What the heck is she saying to her!_

"Something's definitely up," Stephanie said, speaking Brittany's thoughts. "I just _know_ it!"

"I know! Since when did Ray and Charlene get to be so buddy-buddy?" Brittany asked, scowling.

Finally, it was Brittany's turn.

With a deep breath, Brittany hopped off of Stephanie's shoulder and ran to the middle of the mat. All eyes were on her. She was used to the attention, but what she was wary about was Charlene. She was smirking at her knowingly, which only made Brittany want to smack that smug grin off of her face.

One of the judges played back the music. Brittany started out by reciting West Eastman's signature cheer before performing a series back flips. She did fairly well on her flips, having spent a lot of time working on them with her sisters. She added in the regular claps, stomps, and common maneuvers. At the end, Brittany finished with a split, panting slightly from the effort.

The judges clapped for her, nodding their approval. Brittany returned to her feet before walking towards the group who had already finished their routines. In the corner of her eye, Brittany caught Charlene furiously tug at Charlene's bejeweled ear, frantically whispering something to her. Ray jerked away, however, and irritably waved her off. A satisfied smile came to Brittany as she saw Charlene huff and cross her arms.

Stephanie gave her a thumbs up before walking over to the mat. Stephanie recited the school's cheer before going for her own routine. Unlike Brittany, she excelled in doing frontal flips and added her very own flare. Brittany winced when she tripped on one stunt, but Stephanie was able to mask it well.

After she was done, it seemed she also left a good impression. Brittany congratulated her as she came to her side.

Half an hour later, everyone had auditioned. The judges made their final comments to each other before scribbling the last of their notes on their clipboards. Ray cleared her throat and sat up, smiling.

"Alright, thank you all for trying out," Ray said, flipping her flawless black hair. "The results will be posted in the main hall Monday morning. So, look out for it, 'kay? You might just be lucky enough to join my squad."

Dismissed, the group slowly made their way out of the gymnasium and started to talk just outside the doors. None of them wanted to head back to class, especially Brittany. She hated class, and this was the perfect opportunity to skip!

"Oh my gosh, I hope we make it on the team!" Brittany squealed, bouncing lightly as she walked beside Stephanie.

"I know, right? It'd be a lot of fun to be on the same team," Stephanie agreed, nodding. Her brow rose as she spotted Charlene, who stomped out of the gym with a sour expression. "Wow, wonder what's got her tail in a knot?"

"I bet I can find out why," Brittany smirked, walking over to Charlene. There was _no way _she was going to pass up the opportunity to gloat. She put on an innocent face as she stood in front of the pouting girl. "Hey, Charlene. Not interested in trying out?" she asked sweetly.

Charlene visibly faltered, but quickly recovered, smiling. "Oh, Britt! Uh, no, I only wanted to watch."

_Don't call me 'Britt'. You're no friend of mine, _Brittany wanted to say, but held her tongue.

"Oh, that's too bad," Brittany said. She played with her own sun-kissed ponytail, raising her voice a bit so that those around her would hear. "I just thought it was weird that you wanted to watch, but sat with the judges. You wouldn't be trying to turn votes in anyone's _favor, _would you?"

Several of the other students obviously had the same suspicions, because they folded their arms and looked down at Charlene, clearly not pleased in the slightest.

Charlene's eyes widened and she shook her head emphatically, quickly denying the accusation. "N-No! Never! I'd never do that."

"Oh. Just checking," Brittany smirked, turning smartly on her heel and walking back. Her sensitive ears picked up Charlene grumbling, and could clearly hear her call her a "_bitch"_.

_Oh, so did she forget that I have good hearing too? _

Brittany suddenly spun around and looked Charlene dangerously in the eyes. Charlene, horrified, took a step back.

_Yeah, I caught you. You're not as clever as you think you are!_

"You're damn right, I'm a bitch," Brittany said coolly. Charlene gulped, taking another step back. "You're not the first to call me that. But let me tell you this: you better back off. Because you've seen _nothing _yet."

XOXOXOXOXO

Later in the day, Brittany rushed towards West Eastman's football field. She slipped through the holes of the iron gate, tossing her backpack beside the benches.

She looked towards the team, who was hard at work practicing for their upcoming game. Brittany watched with pride as Alvin worked with Ryan to carry the ball away from their opponents. She couldn't help but cheer when he dashed ahead of the group, catching the football when Ryan passed it to him and earning them a goal.

"Go Alvin! Woo!" Brittany yelled, clapping her hands. "Kick their butts!"

Alvin wiped his forehead of sweat, looking back at her. He grinned happily when he saw Brittany cheering for him, working even harder to impress her.

Brittany shook her head. _He's such a show-off, _she thought with a smile. _That lug!_

Brittany sat down on the bench, watching intently as the boys took their positions in the middle of the field. Her thoughts drifted back to earlier that day, when she had given her all for a chance on the squad.

_If I make it, I'll be able to wear those cute, red outfits, _Brittany daydreamed, a light blush tinting her cream-colored cheeks. _I wonder what he'd say when he sees me in one, at one of the games..._

"Hey, Britt! Thanks for waiting up for me!"

Brittany squeaked in alarm, nearly falling off the bench. She looked to her right, only to see Alvin smirking down at her. His fur was damp from sweat, his helmet in his hand and a towel draped over his left shoulder. Brittany shook her head to clear her thoughts before standing to greet him.

"It's about time," she said, folding her arms. "It's hot out here! Don't you know what that does to my fur?"

"Yet, here you are, still waiting for me," Alvin teased, winking. "You're sweet!"

"Shut up, Alvin," Brittany snapped, trying her best to mask a grin.

The two of them hopped off the bench, Brittany slipping back into the straps of her backpack. Brittany suddenly remembered that she had brought him a water bottle, handing it to him.

"Thirsty?" Brittany asked. "I brought you a little something. I don't want you to faint on me in this heat," she added playfully.

Alvin's face lit up as he gratefully accepted the tiny bottle. "You have no idea, thanks – wait. Is this one of those Barbie water bottles?" he said incredulously.

Brittany giggled and folded her arms. "Hey, how else was I supposed to get you a water bottle our size? And it's not like it's pink, even though I wanted one. You're lucky they had one in red!"

"Alright, alright, sheesh!" Alvin laughed, taking a swig from it. He leaned over a planted a soft, quick kiss on her cheek. "Where would I be without you, Britt?"

"Flatterer," Brittany replied, gently touching the spot he had kissed. She twitched her nose happily. "You're welcome, Alvin."

The two chipmunks made their way towards the main building, keen on meeting up with Dave and riding back home.

And the best part was, Charlene was no where in sight.

XOXOXOXOXO

_Author's Note: It was only a matter of time until Brittany was going to fight back! Can't mess with a girl like her and not expect a fight. Watch out, Charlene!_

_Also, Stephanie's not really an OC. I based her on the blonde girl in the Squeakquel that we saw pretty often. She's pretty well known, she stars in Good Luck Charlie and Lemonade Mouth! I was surprised when I realized she made a cameo in the movie!_

_Anyway, please give feedback. The next chapter will be up soon!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 8**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Note: I'm glad I got this one out sooner than last time._

_Anyway, the next chapter might come a little late, since I have to plan out some more of this story before I go into another writer's block. Don't want to do that again!_

_Please enjoy!_

_XOXOXOXOXO_

ALVIN

He walked towards the gymnasium, whistling cheerfully along the way. Things were really looking up!

Thankfully, Brittany had done her best to tolerate Charlene while they worked on their project. Admittedly, Alvin still didn't understand why she disliked Charlene so much. In contrast, Charlene seemed really eager to be Brittany's friend. He just couldn't fathom what was going on.

And he hadn't forgotten about Charlene wanting to come over to his house to research outside of school. He hadn't told Brittany yet. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he simply couldn't pull up the courage to tell her. He knew how explosive her temper could be. Just thinking about it made him shiver.

Somehow, once again, he had trapped _himself_.

Trent and Ryan walked up from behind, greeting his cheerfully. They looked even happier than Alvin did.

"What's up with you two?" Alvin asked curiously, flipping the front of his trademark cap to face backwards. "You look awfully happy."

"You bet I am," Trent grinned. "I just asked out Kayla."

"Woah, seriously?" Alvin smiled. "Awesome! Congrats, dude."

Kayla Johnson was one of Brittany's closest friends, and was pretty popular around the school. She was a pretty and modest African American girl. Despite her popularity, she was a little on the shy side. Alvin thought it was good for her to date someone like his outgoing and confident friend, Trent.

Ryan cleared his throat loudly, looking impatiently at the both of them. Trent raised a brow while Alvin rolled his eyes.

"So, why are _you_ happy, Ryan?" Alvin asked sarcastically, folding his arms over his chest.

Ryan puffed out his chest proudly, a wide smile on his face. "Well, I just asked Ray out today. And, of course, she said yes," he grinned even wider at the stunned expressions of his friends. "We're going out this weekend to catch a movie."

Alvin and Trent stood there with their mouths open, absolutely horrified. However, they quickly recovered and began to bombard Ryan with countless questions.

"What? How in the world did you manage _that? _Ray thinks she's better than everybody else!" Alvin said.

"Exactly! I mean, when did you ask? What did she say?" Trent asked.

"I guess I've just got that natural charm," Ryan smirked. "Don't be jealous."

Ryan whistled cheerfully, Alvin and Trent shaking their heads at his behavior. Today, Trent and Ryan were taking Alvin to the track field with them for the first time. Alvin, honestly, wasn't sure if doing track was for him, but he was willing to give it a shot.

Trent groaned, stopping in his tracks as they reached the dark pavement of the track. Alvin turned back to him, confused.

"What's up, Trent?" Alvin asked.

"Owen," Trent grumbled.

Ryan and Alvin turned to look as well. To their chagrin, Owen was indeed power-walking towards them, wheezing and heaving as usual. However, he didn't show any sign of stopping when he was close enough, and Ryan and Trent had to back up to avoid colliding with the boy. Alvin didn't dodge soon enough, and Owen tripped over him and fell face-first into the grass.

A few girls going along the track jogged by, looking over the embarrassing scenario. They shook their heads, giggling to themselves as they rounded the corner.

Ryan smiled nervously at them, obviously embarrassed. As soon as they looked away, he bent down and dragged Owen up by the collar roughly.

"Owen, what the heck was _that?_" Ryan demanded, his blue eyes boring into the scared boy.

"I'm sorry, guys. Sometimes, when I'm running, I just can't stop in time," Owen whined, swinging his legs weakly.

Alvin, who had collected himself and began dusting his jersey off, glared up at him. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Don't you remember? You all promised that I could tag along," Owen reminded them. He sighed in relief when Ryan dropped him to the ground. "I waited for you all by the water fountains, but I guess you guys forgot..."

Ryan and Alvin glanced at each other, groaning softly. Trent, however, felt a bit sorry for Owen and tried his best to welcome him.

"It's good to have you here, Owen," Trent said, patting his back.

"Thank you," Owen smiled, showing a few yellowed teeth.

Alvin wanted to gag.

The group of four walked to the starting point before looking around their surroundings. To their pleasant surprise, the cheer-leading squad was gathered in the middle of the ring, going over the basics of their routine before the new recruits arrived next week.

_Brittany tried out too, _Alvin remembered, smiling widely. He was confident she would make it onto the squad. Alvin's tail wagged slightly as he imagined Brittany dancing and bouncing around in her cute, red cheerleader outfit. Just thinking about it cheered him up!

Alvin did a double take when he saw a blonde chipmunk on Ray's shoulder. Taken aback, he squinted to get a better look. For a split second, he thought it was Eleanor. If there was one thing he did know about the pigtailed Chipette, it was that she greatly preferred sports to cheer-leading. To his relief, it was only Charlene...

_Wait, what? _Alvin thought, even more confused than before. _Since when was she on the squad? I didn't even know she tried out, she never told me about that. And even if she was recruited, why is she on the squad early? Crap, what if her and Brittany end up on the same squad!_

Alvin's stomach turned at the very thought. For the second time that day, he remembered the lie he had told Brittany three days ago. Guilt ate at him as he wondered what to do.

Before he could collect his thoughts, Charlene suddenly spotted him. She winked at him, waving happily. Alvin gulped and waved back halfheartedly. Trent noticed the interaction, looking to Charlene curiously.

"Is that the friend you told us about?" Trent asked. "She's kinda cute."

Alvin nodded, sighing. "Yeah, that's Charlene."

To his relief, Charlene didn't have the time to run up to him and chat, as the squad was beginning their warm-up exercises. Ryan thought it a good idea for them to stretch first as well, and the boys began to start out by touching their toes.

Alvin did it easily, holding still for a few seconds to stretch out his hamstrings. Ryan and Trent did it with ease as well. Owen, however, leaned forward too far, wobbling dangerously. Alvin gasped as he began to shadow over him, trying to run out of the way. However, Owen landed painfully on top of him, making Alvin yell in outrage.

"ARGH! Owen, get the f*** off me!" Alvin screamed, trying to claw his way out from under him.

Ryan and Trent were absolutely no help, as they simply laughed and guffawed at Alvin's expense. Needless to say, they made the situation ten times worse.

Alvin finally pulled himself out from underneath Owen, panting. Owen wheezed slightly, offering up another apology. At this point, Alvin didn't want to hear any apologies and dealt a painful kick to this side of his face.

"God, Owen! Can't you do a simple toe-touch without halfway killing yourself? Or worse, _me!_" Alvin growled.

Owen gulped, sitting up to rest on his hands. "S-Sorry, Alvin..."

His foul mood, as impossible as he thought it was, worsened when his ears picked up the laughter from the cheerleaders.

_It's times like these where I wish I could just claw out someone's eyes and not get in trouble, _Alvin thought, furious.

A hand on his shoulder shocked him out of his thoughts. Charlene had apparently ran over to help him, brushing off some of the dirt that was dirtying his red shirt.

"Alvin, are you okay?" Charlene asked, glaring over at Owen. Owen flinched, looking away. "I don't know why you're hanging out with _losers_ like him anyway."

Alvin rubbed his head, grateful for her concern. "Thanks, Charlene. At least _someone_ cared enough to help," he said pointedly, glaring at Trent and Ryan. His friends smiled apologetically.

"I'm glad you're okay," Charlene said warmly. "Can I have a word with you?"

Alvin winced. _Oh no, not again. Whenever she wants to "talk", it always ends up bad for me._

Despite this, he agreed to follow her. Charlene led him a few feet away, Ryan yelling out cat calls at Alvin. Alvin glared back at him and Trent nudged him in the ribs.

"So, uh... what's up?" Alvin asked, dreading her answer.

"Well, you do remember our conversation a few days ago? About me coming over to work on our project more?" Charlene said, gently squeezing his paw. Alvin felt his heart drop. A part of him held out hope that she would just forget the whole thing, as unlikely as that was. He nodded slowly. "Well, how about I come over this afternoon?"

Alvin released her hand, backing away a few steps. This was exactly what he was afraid of. He just couldn't let Charlene come over. Who knew what would happen if he allowed it?

"Charlene, I'm sorry. I just don't think that's a good idea," Alvin said reluctantly, avoiding her gaze. He just knew she would be upset, and he hated that he was the one that caused it.

"What? Why not?" Charlene asked. Alvin could clearly hear the hurt in her voice.

"Well, I..." Alvin struggled to find the right words. He couldn't tell her that he didn't want her to come over because of Brittany. "Well, the timing isn't right, I guess?"

He slowly looked up to meet her eyes. He expected to see hurt and sadness, but instead met a firm and cold stare. He winced slightly as Charlene folded her arms.

"Alvin," she said firmly, narrowing her light blue eyes. "Is it because of Brittany?"

Alvin felt his heart skip a beat. _So, she knows._

"Charlene -"

"Tell me the truth," she cut in.

"Y...Yes," Alvin admitted. "But it's only because she'd be uncomfortable – "

"I can't believe you, Alvin Seville!" Charlene shouted angrily, eyes burning with anger and hurt. Alvin's eyes widened in shock. "Why are you treating me like this? We were friends since we were kits!" Charlene swiped at her tear-filled eyes, refusing to let them fall. "We would always play and sing with each other, and we even promised, when we grew up, that we'd be big stars! Was that a lie, Alvin? Do you say that to _every _girl?"

Thankfully, they were far away from the cheer-leading squad, so their conversation wasn't overheard by everyone around them like last time. However, Alvin had a feeling Ryan, Trent and Owen could clearly hear Charlene's outburst.

"Charlene, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that," Alvin sighed, walking over to her. He gently hugged her, patting her back. "I didn't mean to hurt you, honest," he said softly, meaning every word. While it had been a long time since he had talked to his childhood friend, he still cared for her. Charlene looked up at him with those beautiful blue eyes, making him smile. "You... you can come over this afternoon. After school."

Charlene beamed up at him, giving him a squeeze. "Thank you, Alvin! I just want to reconnect with you, like old times!"

"I know," Alvin said, smiling weakly. "I want to too."

_What have I done?_

XOXOXOXOXO

_Author's Note: Sorry this one is a little shorter than my usual chapters! For some reason, it just didn't stretch that much! Oh well, I liked this chapter._

_Oh boy, Alvin... you're really going to regret that one! I hope you know what you're doing!_

_Next chapter will be up sometime soon. Thanks for reading!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 9**

**The Truth**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Note: Just so you know, as much as I am eager to finally get this chapter out of the way, this is not the climax of this story. Not even close. :D_

_But I hope you enjoy it anyway!_

_XOXOXOXOXO_

BRITTANY

_I hate this situation. With a PASSION. And it's all because of him._

Brittany clenched her fist, it trembling slightly. While she had always tossed around false threats to her counterpart, never before did she have such a strong urge to punch him straight in his infuriating jaw. Though not nearly as much as she wanted to punch the blonde bimbo beside. _What is __**she**__ doing here!_

She was actually surprised at her own patience. Brittany wouldn't deny that she was probably one of the most impatient chipmunks around. An hour and a half of being in the same room as Charlene? And not giving into the strong desire of punching her out? It was absolutely amazing. In class, Brittany had tolerated her. But in her own house? It was like Charlene was taunting her.

And the fact that Alvin had the audacity to invite her over, without even a single word to her? It hurt. More than Brittany was willing to admit. Why not go to the study hall? The library, even? Somewhere where she felt she had more control of the situation?

Brittany forcefully turned the pages of her textbook, nearly ripping the paper out of its binding. She tried not to let her anger show, because that bitch surely would have reveled in it. But it was just _so _hard!

She tuned out whatever conversation Charlene and Alvin were currently having. Alvin knew he was in deep trouble, because he kept trying to get Brittany to join in. Nope, wasn't going to happen. She was going to make him sweat for the remainder of this mess, and then she was going to light into him and demand an explanation!

Someone tapped her on her shoulder, rousing Brittany out her her thoughts. She looked down and was disgusted to see a blonde paw inches away from her. She had half a nerve to slap it away. Brittany slowly looked up and into Charlene's blue eyes, which was clouded in fake worry.

_Ugh, I hate her..._

"Britt, are you feeling okay?" Charlene asked, her voice dipped in concern. "You haven't been saying much."

Brittany shot a sharp glare to Alvin, who was looking away nervously. It was rare for Brittany to see Alvin so nervous, even speechless. She rolled her eyes and glared back at Charlene, folding her arms.

"Actually, _Charlene,_" Brittany said, feeling as if she was going to be sick by even saying the girl's name. "Things aren't okay. You see, no one told me you were coming over."

Charlene gasped, looking over at Alvin, who was shrinking back more by the second. "Alvin, didn't you tell Britt? Brittany, I don't know why he didn't tell you," she said, a flicker of joy in her eyes. Brittany's cheeks tinted red. "I asked him if I could come over days ago! Now, I wonder why he didn't tell you?" she said with a small smirk.

_That bitch, _Brittany fumed, trembling. _She's loving every moment of this!_

Brittany's thoughts drifted back to the time Charlene had asked Alvin to speak with her for a moment. It was after class, Social Studies class. At the time, Brittany didn't make a big deal out of it. As much as she hated to have Alvin anywhere near that tramp, she forced herself to respect that he did value her as a childhood friend. But when he came back, he was noticeably nervous. Was _that_ when Charlene had asked to come over, right in front of her face? And if so, why the hell did Alvin lie about that to her?

Brittany spun around and looked at Alvin in disbelief. Her fiery eyes demanded an answer, an explanation. But Alvin only gulped and looked down at his sweating paws. _He can't say anything, can he? He lied._

She gulped, trying her best to dispel the lump in her throat. Just what was going on here? Why did Alvin lie to her? He knew how much Brittany disliked Charlene. Couldn't he have enough respect for her to ask her how she felt about this, rather than force her into a situation she hated? Oh, he was going to regret this.

To Brittany's surprise, she lasted the whole session without losing her temper. It was rough, but she did it.

Charlene began to pack up her part of the assignment into her red and pink backpack before swinging it over her shoulder. Alvin and Brittany walked her downstairs and to the front door, where she turned and gave them a bright smile.

"Thanks for letting me come over," Charlene said cheerfully, though it was mostly towards Alvin.

"No problem," Alvin gulped, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Brittany only raised an eyebrow at Charlene.

Before Brittany could react, Charlene pulled Alvin into a hug, giving him a peck on the cheek. Brittany's cheeks burned with fury. Alvin blushed and broke the embrace, stuttering and stumbling over himself. Charlene gave him a flirtatious wink and sashayed out the door.

_She won._

Dave and their siblings walked into the main hallway. It was probably a good thing too, because Alvin would have been knocked to the ground if he was left alone to suffer Brittany's wrath.

"Did Charlene leave?" Dave asked, newspaper in hand.

"Y-Yeah," Alvin rasped.

"She's a pretty nice girl," Dave said nonchalantly. Brittany's eyes widened in shock. "Very polite."

"Isn't she?" Jeanette smiled. "She's really nice and down-to-earth."

Brittany couldn't take this anymore. Brittany scowled and turned away from the group, heading towards the staircase. Why was it no one could see how fake and shallow Charlene really was? She was a snake, a liar, a tramp. She only had eyes on her man!

_What? Wait, he's not my man! _Brittany argued with herself, shaking her head in embarrassment. _B-But still..._

"Brittany, wait!" Alvin said, running to catch up with her. He didn't care if someone overheard them, but he just had to talk to her. "Please, talk to me."

"How could you?" Brittany shot back, turning to glare at him. He sighed, gulping. "You knew how I felt about her, and you still invited her over? You had so many chances to tell me the truth, and you fucking _lied to me!"_ Brittany said, her voice rising. She had tried to put as much malice and fury into her words, but it didn't work. Yes, she was mad. Furious. But above all else, she was extremely hurt. Hurt much more than she ever thought she would. While she had known Alvin to throw around small white, harmless lies on occasion, he never intentionally deceived her. How dare he lie to her face? For Charlene, no less? "Why did you do that, Alvin?"

Alvin reached over and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. Brittany's fingers twitched at his touch, but she resisted the urge to snatch her paw away.

"Britt, I'm sorry. I was wrong, completely wrong. I should have told you," Alvin said, sighing heavily. "It's just that Charlene is an old friend of mine, and I didn't want her to feel left out. Besides, I did think it'd be a great time to get more work done for this project."

"Then why did you hide this from me until today?" Brittany snapped, snatching her paw back. "Why, Alvin?"

Alvin gulped audibly and looked down at his feet, silent. He couldn't offer up a valid explanation.

"Thought so," Brittany said . She rolled her eyes in disgust, hopping onto the first stair. She was so angry at him, she didn't even want to lay eyes on him right now.

"Why do you hate Charlene so much?"

Brittany froze at the top of the landing. She twitched her tail nervously, looking down at the carpeted floor. Would Alvin believe her if she told him the truth? That underneath that sweet, down-to-earth skin was a conniving witch? But why would he believe Brittany? Charlene was his childhood friend, after all.

_His... his best friend. What am I to him?_

She felt the gentle touch of Alvin's paw on the small of her back. Brittany slowly turned to face him, wondering if she should even tell him. What if he didn't believe her? She had just went through a stressful day, and honestly did not want to argue anymore. She was tired. But the look in his golden eyes told her that he genuinely wanted to know the truth.

"Will you really listen to me?" Brittany asked softly. "Will you hear me out, Alvin?"

"Of course, Britt," Alvin said sincerely, nodding eagerly. "I know I messed up. But I just want to know why."

Brittany smiled, relieved. Although she was angry earlier, it was overwritten with the relief that she could finally tell him all of the mess Charlene had put her through. Brittany told Alvin about how Charlene had snubbed her in the beginning, when she tried to warn her about Ian Hawke in the cafeteria. Then, she told her about how she had tried to influence her chances at cheer-leading tryouts. Finally, Brittany confessed that she felt Charlene had an ulterior motive, and was just using some of them for her own gain.

When she finished, Brittany searched Alvin's expression for any sign that he understood. Realization, shock, even hurt. She didn't want to hurt him. A large part of why she even tolerated Charlene was because she cared so deeply for him. But all she saw in Alvin's eyes were confusion, tinged with a bit of disbelief.

Her heart sank.

"Brittany," Alvin said firmly, shaking his head. "Charlene would never do those kinds of things. I don't understand why you're making up those things about her," he said, but backtracked when he saw Brittany's jaw drop. "Well, I don't think you're lying! But I think that maybe you took some things the wrong way. I just thought you were better than that. I didn't think you'd be the type of girl who'd get wrapped up in her own jealousy."

Brittany sat there, completely dumbstruck. Was he serious? Was he that full of himself, that cocky, to think that she would willingly lie in his face about Charlene? That might have been her style, but that was certainly not how Brittany conducted herself.

"How dare you lump me in with that bitch?" Brittany snapped, stomping closer. Her voice cracked, holding back frustrated tears. "I can't believe you. You said you'd hear me out and listen to what I had to say, and you're still taking her side!" she choked. It hurt to know the boy she had fallen for didn't have any trust in her.

"Don't call Charlene a bitch," Alvin said angrily. "You're the one acting like one right now. I know Charlene would never do those things to anybody, especially someone she barely knows!"

"I never wanted to work with her in the first place! But you know what? I sucked it up so I could work with _you_," Brittany said icily, jabbing him in his chest with her finger. "All for you. But now I don't even know why I wasted my time! It's obvious you're so much happier working with her anyway!"

Before Alvin could respond, Brittany turned around, went into her bedroom and slammed the door in his face. Normally, she would never back down from an argument. But she could feel the tears begin to burn her eyes, and she refused to let him see her like this.

Brittany pressed her back against the door, sliding down to the floor as she covered her face with her paws. Her heart was racing as she felt and tasted the salty tears run down her cheeks.

_How does he do this to me? Brittany_ wondered, swiping furiously at her eyes. She was never a crybaby! But when it came to Alvin Seville, it was different. He infuriated her and made her heart flutter at the very same time. It was disgusting. _Look what he did to me!_

"Brittany – "

"Leave me alone, Alvin," Brittany choked, trying to steady her voice. "Just leave me alone. You've made it clear that you don't trust me."

She heard Alvin sigh deeply, followed by a large bang. Did he punch the wall? Kick it? She didn't know, but she did hear him stomp to his room and slam the door behind him.

Brittany sighed, hugging her knees to her chest. She was angry and hurt, it was true. As much as she wanted to convince herself that it was all his fault, she knew that wasn't true. Even after what they had just been through, Brittany's love for him didn't wane a bit. Most of her fury was directed at Charlene. She knew what she was doing, and she was doing it well. But Alvin had too much faith in her to see the truth.

In the end, Alvin had believed Charlene over Brittany. And it broke her heart.

XOXOXOXOXO

_Author's Note: No, Brittany! D:_

_But, hey, can't really blame Alvin either. It'd be a tough choice to choose between your childhood buddy and your fast-becoming bestfriend and love interest..._

_The next chapter will be out soon! Thanks for the reviews, everybody._


	10. Chapter 10

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 10**

**Swallowing Pride**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Note: Finally broke out of a writer's block concerning this story. Phew!_

_Anyway, thanks for all of your patience! With me nearly done with school, I'll have time for more updates._

_XOXOXOXOXO_

ALVIN

He just couldn't understand how everything took a turn for the worse.

Scratch that. He did know why. But that didn't make things any easier.

He had lied to Brittany, the girl who was quickly becoming his best friend. The girl who, as much as he didn't want to admit it, was quickly stealing his heart. Ever since she had walked into his life, she had turned his world upside down. In a good way. But despite how much she meant to him, he hurt her. Called her names he never thought he could ever have the nerve to say.

He didn't _mean_ to hurt her, if that made any kind of sense. He might tease her or playfully taunt her, but he never wanted to hurt her. But what was he supposed to do? What could he have done differently to avoid the situation he found himself in now? All he wanted to do was spend time with his old friend. For God's sake, was that so wrong?

In his defense, he _had_ listened to all the lies Brittany fed him. While he was being hounded for telling a little white lie, she was trying to spin a whole web of deceit. Her ridiculous account of Charlene was both shocking and insulting. According to Brittany, Charlene was plotting against all of them, somehow...

Seriously, how could she say such terrible and hurtful things about her? Charlene was one of the sweetest, kindest girls he had ever known. He had never known her to intentionally hurt anyone, and he knew for a fact that she would never do the things Brittany claimed were true. And Brittany had the nerve to get mad at _him _for lying?

Alvin stopped staring at the ceiling of his bedroom and flipped over onto his stomach. The darkness of the room only served to further his foul mood. All through dinner, Brittany and Alvin didn't even bother to acknowledge each other's existence. He had a feeling his brothers, Jeanette and Eleanor had guessed that something had gone on between them, but they didn't bother to ask. They must have assumed that he and Brittany had gotten into a small argument (as usual), but would soon go back to laughing and playing by the following day. Alvin didn't think so this time.

This was their first, genuine fight. And neither of them was willing to budge.

Alvin groaned, grabbing his pillow and forcing it over his head. Everything was just so freakin' complicated, and it was getting on his nerves _big_ time. What was he supposed to do? Who was he supposed to believe? Why did he even have to choose between them? And even if he did find out one of them was truly lying to him, would that make things any better? He honestly didn't think he could accept that Brittany or Charlene was deceiving him.

_Why is Brittany being so difficult? I mean, what the heck is going on? If I take what Brittany says as truth, then Charlene is a lying, backstabbing witch. But why would Charlene do that? We were friends since we were kits. Not just me, but she was friends with my brothers too, _Alvin pondered, throwing his pillow off of him and sending it tumbling off the side top bunk of the bed. _But if I completely dismiss what she said, then that means Brittany's just bullying Charlene around when she didn't do anything wrong. But I know Brittany's not that kind of girl. She'd never do that._

Sighing deeply, he sat up and kicked off the red covers decorated with his trademark "A". He rubbed his head in frustration. All of this thinking was starting to hurt!

Was he looking at this all wrong? Ever since she had confessed to him earlier today, he had automatically dismissed what she had to say as lies. But what if he was wrong? Brittany wasn't a liar, he knew that for sure. So, why should this time be different? Why didn't he just sit down and think about all of this earlier, instead of having a knee jerk reaction and throwing around insults?

His heart skipped a beat. _What if she did tell me the truth?_

He shook his head, his reddish brown bangs fuzzing up even more. He didn't want to think about that. Charlene wouldn't – but would she? He hadn't seen her in years. Who's to say that she couldn't have changed? Not only changed, but did a complete one-eighty? What if she wasn't the sweet, kind girl he had known from his childhood?

Alvin wasn't there with Brittany and Charlene constantly. What if it was all an act? What if Charlene really was out to make Brittany's life a living hell? Had Charlene really done all of those horrible things to her?

Alvin gulped down the guilt. His heart raced at the dreadful possibility that he had hurt Brittany, when all she had tried to do was tell him the truth. To warn him. And now... she was suffering all alone.

"Dammit," Alvin cursed, burying his head in his hands. "What do I do?"

Finally, he decided to not dwell on it any longer. He just couldn't decide who to trust. His head was swimming with things he didn't want to think about. For now, he would push it to the back of his mind. Whoever was really lying, he would find out in time, right? He'd cross that bridge when the time came.

But, for now, Alvin began to realize that he was too harsh on Brittany. Why couldn't he give her the benefit of a doubt? After all, he had lied to her, put her in a situation she _specifically_ said she did not want to be in, and even yelled at her and compared her to Ray, of all people. Brittany didn't deserve that disrespect.

Having made up his mind, Alvin jumped off of his bed. He landed safely at the bottom of their bunk bed, brushing off his red pajama shirt. After recovering, he walked over to their bedroom door, keen on making things right.

"Alvin? What are you doing up so late?" asked a small, timid voice from behind him. Alvin tensed, realizing that Theodore must have heard him land.

"I was just going to get a glass of water," Alvin said. He winced at the lie. It seemed that was all he was doing nowadays. "I'll be back soon, Theo. Get some sleep."

"Okay," Theodore smiled, yawning softly and turning his back to him. "You better get some sleep too."

"I will," Alvin promised, gently pushing open their door and closing it quietly behind him.

Alvin quickly looked around as he stood in the hallway, praying that Dave had already turned in for the night. To his relief, a large snore from Dave's bedroom confirmed it. Tiptoeing as silently as he could, Alvin made his way towards the Chipettes' bedroom. He couldn't help but smile at the three signs each of the girls had made to claim their new room. Eleanor's was decorated with little sports stickers, her name written in curly letters. Jeanette's sign was decorated with blue and purple, tiny doodles of flowers and butterflies decorating the borders. Alvin's small smile eased into a large grin when he saw Brittany's: as expected, her's was the largest and most glittery. Pink and gold were her colors of choice, with pictures of herself adorning it.

"That's Britt for you," Alvin chuckled.

Wasting no more time, Alvin gently pushed open their bedroom door. He poked his head inside, looking to see if any of them were awake. He crept inside and checked to make sure Jeanette and Eleanor were sound asleep. Sure enough, Eleanor and Jeanette were curled up under their covers, breathing softly as they dreamed. Satisfied, Alvin finally made a move for Brittany's bed. He climbed up the side of her light pink sheets and looked over at her sleeping form.

As he walked closer, he couldn't help but stare. Brittany was sleeping quietly on her back, her chest rising and falling softly with each breath. The moonlight filtering in from the nearby window seemed to bring an innocent halo to the girl sleeping inches away from him. Brittany really was beautiful...

Shaking his head, he cursed himself for becoming distracted so easily. _Focus! I'm here to apologize and make things right between us, not stare at her while she's sleeping, like some creeper!_

Reaching out, he gently took her by the shoulder and attempted to rouse her awake. Brittany moaned softly, scowling slightly in her sleep. She grumbled something he couldn't quite make out, turning her back to him.

"Brittany! Brittany, wake up," Alvin whispered. "I need to – AUGH!"

Alvin grabbed at his forehead, falling back and hissing in pain. Brittany had rolled over and accidentally smacked him in the middle of his forehead with the back of her paw. To his disbelief, she didn't even seem to feel a thing! Brittany simply mumbled in her sleep and snuggled deeper into her pillow.

"Don't steal my cookies, bitch..." she said in her sleep.

Alvin's eyebrow twitched in anger. "Brittany! Wake up!" he said, this time a bit louder.

Brittany's eyes flew open and she sat up quickly in alarm. She squinted her eyes at him through the darkness, tense. However, she soon realized that it was Alvin and sighed in relief.

"Alvin, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" she whispered, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"And you nearly beat me up in your sleep!" Alvin shot back, praying that she didn't give him a knot on his head.

"What? I did no such thing," Brittany snapped, rolling her eyes. "Don't play, Alvin."

"I'm not playing!" Alvin shot back. He revealed the reddened spot under his fur. "You smacked me in your sleep, see?"

"Woah! I'm sorry, Alvin," Brittany apologized, a slightly amused smile on her face. For a second, Alvin wondered if she had done it on purpose. "Eleanor and Jeanette always did tell me I was a wild sleeper. And – wait. What are you doing in my room?" she questioned suddenly. She then narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, giving him a cold glare. Alvin winced, knowing that she recalled their confrontation from earlier that day. "What do you want, Alvin? I'm not in the mood for your mess right now."

Alvin sighed deeply, scratching the back of his head. A part of him felt that she had the complete right to feel cross at him. After all, while they had both gotten a little wrapped up in the argument, he was the one who took it a step too far. Just this once, he was willing to shoulder the blame.

"Britt, I'm sorry. I really, truly am," he told her sincerely, glancing up at her to make sure he had her attention. Brittany still seemed angry at him, but she was looking at him intently. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I didn't mean to call you a liar. Or compare you to Ray. Or, heck, any of the other things I said. I take it back. I just didn't know what to do to make the both of you happy. You know what I mean?"

Brittany looked away, peering out of her bedroom window and into the night sky. "Yeah, I guess so."

"But I should have handled things differently. Maybe if I did, I wouldn't have hurt you," Alvin said quietly. Brittany didn't respond. "I was stupid, I really was. But I know one thing: I don't want to lose you. I mean that. You mean too much to me."

Brittany's ears stood at attention at this confession. She slowly turned around to face him, searching his face for any signs that he was kidding around, or lying to her again to get her to forgive him. All she saw was sincerity and remorse.

"Y-You're not just saying all that stuff to butter me up, are you?" Brittany asked nervously. She then smiled slightly, suppressing a laugh. "Because, you know, it's rare for you to say all the right things."

"Ouch, Britt!" Alvin laughed, clutching at his heart. "Why do you have to wound my ego so? I'm being honest here!"

Brittany rolled her eyes. "It could stand to be deflated a bit, if you ask me."

Alvin was tempted to give a snide comeback, but resisted. This wasn't the time to argue, even if it was just their usual playful banter. He shook his head, becoming serous again.

"Britt, I really am serious," he said firmly. He gently took her paw in his own, giving it a small squeeze. "And I'm willing to prove it. Let me prove to you that I am sorry. I just want things to go back to normal between us. I don't want us to grow apart."

"Really, Alvin?" Brittany said, a grin beginning to grace to features. Alvin's heart pounded in hope, but what she said next made him wince. "I don't know. I mean you _did_ force me into tolerating Charlene in my own house. Without even _telling_ me, I might add. Not to mention you lied to me. I think you owe me anything I want, don't you?"

Alvin bit his tongue, realizing that she was absolutely right. Had he been in her shoes, he'd be saying the exact same thing. True, he didn't understand the animosity Brittany held against Charlene. But he realized that she might just have her reasons, and he would have to respect that. No more forcing her to work with her. No more inviting Charlene without notice. If things were going to go well between him and Brittany, he had to accept the fact that Charlene couldn't be in the mix. The two had to be separate.

Choosing his words carefully, Alvin replied, "Okay, I'll give you that. But can you try and see it from my side too? I don't know what to think. I know you're not a liar, but..." he sighed, rubbing his temple. "I just can't think of Charlene doing all of those things. Maybe it's just me, but I just think, maybe, there's some sort of mistake. Somehow." Alvin closed his eyes. "I just want to make things right."

Brittany stared at him for a few seconds, deep in thought. After a while, she sighed deeply, entwining her fingers in his own.

"Alright, Alvin," she said kindly, smiling up at him. "I can give you that. Maybe I didn't see it from your position either. I guess Charlene – "

"I don't want to talk about Charlene," Alvin cut in. Brittany raised a brow at him, taken aback. "It's just you and me right now. Charlene has nothing to do with us."

"Right. It's just about us," Brittany agreed with a smile. Alvin was relieved to see her smile at him again. This was his first sign that things would be okay. "So, anything I want, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah," Alvin snickered. "Just this once."

"Spoil sport," Brittany said, sticking out her tongue. She pondered for a moment before smiling again. "Okay, I want you to take me to the mall and help me go shopping."

"Ugh, I _knew_ you were going to say that," Alvin groaned. He absolutely hated shopping, in general. But going shopping with a girl who practically breathed fashion? That was even worse! "Fine. Anything else?"

"Then I want you to treat me to something yummy at the bakery there," Brittany continued, looking off in a dreamy manner. "A nice strawberry shortcake. And maybe a few gingerbread cookies. It's getting close to the holidays."

"Okay, that doesn't sound too bad," Alvin said, actually liking the idea. He smirked at her, folding his arms over his chest. "You know, I have a feeling you're going easy on me, Britt. I expected you to make me your personal slave for a week or something."

"I thought about it," Brittany said nonchalantly. Alvin's jaw dropped open, making her laugh. "But I _do_ have a heart, you know."

"So does that mean I'm off the hook after this?" Alvin asked.

"Maybe," Brittany smiled. "As long as you promise never to do anything like that again," she added pointedly.

"I promise," Alvin said, placing a hand over his heart and raising the other one.

Brittany leaned over and gave him a hug, startling him. He felt his cheeks flush a light red at her touch, but he slowly returned the hug.

"Well, I guess I can put it behind us, just this one. For you," Brittany said, sighing contently. "And I mean, you _only_."

"Thanks, Britt," Alvin smiled, stroking her auburn hair gently. He watched as her ponytail bounced softly at his touch. "So, it's a date. We'll go the mall, I'll have to hold a ton of your shopping bags," he said, gagging comically. Brittany giggled. "And then we'll gorge on sweets. Sounds like fun!"

Brittany smiled up at him. "It does. I can't wait." Brittany glanced at her heart-shaped alarm clock, the pink, glowing numbers flashing "3:13". She removed herself from his embrace, much to Alvin's disappointment. "Ahem, er, well, it's getting late. We better turn in before anyone catches us. Goodnight, Alvin."

"Goodnight, Brittany," Alvin smiled, kissing the middle of her forehead. He heard her squeak in surprise and he had to suppress a smile. _Still got it._ "I'll see you in the morning."

Soon after, Alvin crept toward the bedroom door again. Brittany waved at him from her bed. Alvin waved back before gently closing the door behind him and quickly returning to his own room. Thankfully, Simon and Theodore were still fast asleep. Alvin scurried up the ladder leading to the top of the bed and snuggled back under his monogrammed covers.

But two hours later, when the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, Alvin found that he couldn't get back to sleep. He was simply too excited! Brittany had forgiven him without any real drama, and things were finally going back to normal between them.

What more could he wish for?

XOXOXOXOXO

_Author's Note: Big ball of Alvittany fluff! I love eeettt~_

_Next chapter will be up soon! Reviews are love._


	11. Chapter 11

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 10**

**Dynamic Duo**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

_Author's Note: Just to let you guys know, I'm actually already done with this story. I'm just taking my time uploading them! Don't want to overwhelm you with updates._

_Anyway, enjoy!_

_XOXOXOXOXO_

This was definitely her element. The fashion shops, the beauty salons, the fans asking for her autograph. What more could she ever wish for?

_Yup, there's definitely no place like the mall, _Brittany thought as she strutted through the establishment, keen on looking for a place to shop for new shoes. She was a regular here, so she had no doubts that they would have some stylish shoes specially made for her. _And it's even better when you have someone carrying your stuff!_

She glanced back and suppressed a giggle. Alvin was struggling to balance a large, towering stack of little bags and boxes she had collected since they stepped foot in the mega-mall. He wobbled dangerously, but managed to regain his balance.

"Don't drop my bags, m'kay?" Brittany said, batting her eyes at him. "Those cost a fortune."

"And they weigh a ton!" Alvin snapped, cutting his gold eyes at her. She burst out laughing, making him grit his teeth in anger. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Come on, Britt! I said I was sorry! Do I have to carry _all _this stuff?" he asked, pleading with her with his eyes.

"Oh, Alvie, I would never do this to you on purpose!" Brittany said sweetly. He narrowed his eyes at her. _Of course I am. _"It's not so bad!"

"Easy for you to say," he grumbled. He sighed, shaking his head with a small smile. "Why do you have to be so cruel?"

Brittany suddenly turned around and leaned into him, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. Alvin felt his cheeks heat up at the contact. He looked at her quizzically, but she only gave him a playful wink.

"You know, I'm actually going pretty easy on you," Brittany said. "I'll prove it to you by treating you to lunch. Sound good?"

"That sounds awesome," Alvin grinned. He then shook his head quickly, making her look at him curiously. "But let me pay. Please. I do owe you, you know."

Brittany smiled brightly, touched at the unexpected generosity. Sometimes, Alvin could be really sweet and thoughtful, even if he didn't want anyone to know it.

"Thanks, Alvin, but it's no big deal! I don't mind paying," Brittany said. She pointed at the large collection of shopping bags and boxes in his arms. "Besides, it's the least I can do after you carried my stuff all day long. And, don't forget, you have to save your cash for sweets later on," she added with a laugh.

"Gee, thanks," Alvin grumbled. He then laughed, fancying her mischievous nature. He had to admit, he found it pretty darn attractive in a girl. It was amazing how alike they were. "Fine. I can do that."

Brittany led him to the food court, helping him put down his heavy load. The two of them ordered some fries and milkshakes as they chatted on top of the table. They talked about school, mostly, but also about their plans for the upcoming summer. Eventually, Alvin told her about how practice was going for him on the football team. Brittany was always proud of him for holding his own on the team. Even she never thought a chipmunk would go so far in the game!

"Speaking of extracurricular activities, did I tell you I tried out for the cheer leading squad just the other day?" Brittany said excitedly, clapping her hands and squealing girlishly. Alvin grinned brightly, looking up at her from his fries. "I hope I get a spot! I'd love to cheer you on in a game," she said, smiling coyly.

"Oh, you know it. You don't know how much it'd mean to me to see you giving it your all," Alvin said. He patted her hand, making her blush slightly. "I always did think you'd make a great cheerleader, Britt."

Brittany smiled at him, touched. _Wow... since when was Alvin Seville so sweet? I could get used to this!_

"Thank you, Alvin," Brittany said, taking a sip of her vanilla milkshake. "I hope I make it!"

"I know you will," he grinned. He took notice of her shyness, but he didn't comment. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hey, Ray's not giving you a hard time, is she?"

"No, surprisingly," Brittany laughed. It was no secret to everyone at West Eastman that Ray was a drama queen, and wouldn't miss the chance to stir up trouble. She thought back to how Charlene tried to influence her. It worried her somewhat, but Ray didn't seem to have anything out for her. "I think she actually voted for me to be on the team, if you can believe that."

"Really? I'm glad," Alvin said, sitting back. He gave her a mischievous smirk. "If she was messing with you, I would have had a talk with Ryan to make her back off. You know those two are dating now? Sick!"

Gossip! Brittany couldn't help but latch onto it. "Woah, are you serious? Ray and Ryan? Ha!"

"That's what I said," Alvin snickered. He bit into another french fry and waved it around. "But they actually kind of fit. They're both jerks."

"But Ryan's your friend!" Brittany giggled.

"I know! That still doesn't change the fact that he's a jerk," Alvin laughed.

"Speaking of our friends' relationships, did you know that Kayla and Trent hooked up? That's so cute!" Brittany smiled. She was extremely happy for her timid friend. In a way, she kind of reminded her of her sister, Jeanette. She always wanted to two of them to find love one day. "I think they make a really cute couple."

"Oh god, I can't believe I'm gossiping. What is the world coming to?" Alvin joked. Brittany rolled her eyes at him, smirking. "Well, as long as you don't tell anyone. I think they're good together too. Trent was never really into the whole dating thing like Ryan is, so I was happy when I heard he found someone."

"Right! Hey, you know what we should do? We should send them all free tickets to our summer concert," Brittany suggested eagerly. Her friends were huge fans and supporters of her and the Chipmunks' bands. "I can't wait for that."

"Me too!" Alvin said, nodding. "I'm super stoked to be singing '_Dynamite_' with my bros. We've been working on that song for months now."

"I can't wait to hear you sing it," Brittany said, slightly flirtatious. Alvin smiled at her sheepishly. She smiled back. _He's cute when he's taken off guard. _

"Anyway, my sisters and I will be singing '_Disgusting_'," Brittany continued, deciding to let up on her teasing. No matter how much she loved seeing Alvin squirm. "We've sung it so many times, it'll be a breeze to sing at the concert," she bragged, flipping her auburn hair.

Alvin frowned, hurt. "Did you pick that song after our argument last time...?"

"No! Oh, Alvin, that's not the reason why," Brittany quickly denied. Sure, she was furious when he lied to her before. But he was honestly trying to make it up to her. And, even though she wouldn't dare admit it to anyone, it was extremely hard for her to stay mad at Alvin for too long. He just did something to her to make her want to forgive him, no matter how infuriating he may be. "Really, it's got nothing to do with that. We just honestly liked the song. That's all!"

"Ah, I gotcha. Nice pick," Alvin said, smiling.

"Thanks," Brittany said. She choked on her milkshake as she laughed, making Alvin tilt his head to the side quizzically. "I have to admit, that song _does _fit us pretty well, though."

Before Alvin could respond, a small group of teenage girls walked over to their table. They looked at the pair with bright, excited eyes while clutching small autograph books to their chests. Alvin immediately turned on the charm, smoothing back his reddened brown fur and giving the trio a wink. Brittany glared over at him. _Oh boy, here we go..._

"Oh my god, oh my god," one of the girls said, fanning herself as if she were about to faint at any given moment. "I can _not_ believe this is actually happening! Alvin and Brittany, right here in front of me!"

"Gosh, chill out, Timberly," one of the other girls whispered, elbowing her in the ribs. "Don't do this. You did the same thing in front of Justin Timberlake!"

"Okay, okay," Timberly said, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. Brittany giggled softly as she walked forward to stand beside Alvin. "I'm so sorry. It's just that you two are my favorite singers!"

The third girl with dark brown hair squeezed through her friends to speak to Alvin and Brittany. "Like, are you two on a date? That is so cute! I always thought you two would be sooo perfect together! Eee!"

"Oh, no! W-W-We're just having lunch together," Brittany corrected her, feeling her cheeks heat up. She glanced over at Alvin to see if he would deny it as well. To her utter shock, he grinned over at her and gave her a wink. The girls squealed again, making her even more embarrassed. "Really! Nothing's going on!"

"Oh, okay," the brunette said, obviously unconvinced. She looked around intently. "Are the others here too?"

"Nope! It's just the two of us," Brittany answered.

"Can we have your autograph?" the blonde asked hopefully, leaning in with her friends. "We are would be, like, super honored!"

"And a song too!" the girl with black hair with blonde highlights asked. She gave them her best pout. "Oh, please? Pretty please?"

"For three beautiful ladies? Of course," Alvin said smoothly. The girls giggled and blushed. Brittany folded her arms and gave him a look, warning him to settle down. Alvin coughed and gave her an apologetic smile. "Any requests?"

"_Moves Like Jagger_!" the blonde suggested. Her friends agreed, nodding their heads quickly. "We love that song!"

"Nice choice!" Brittany smiled. "Ready, Alvin?"

"I was born ready, Brittany," Alvin smiled.

_[Alvin]_

_Just shoot for the stars_

_If it feels right_

_Then aim for my heart_

_If you feel like_

_And take me away, and make it okay_

_I swear I'll behave_

_You wanted control_

_So we waited_

_I put on a show_

_Now I make it_

_You say I'm a kid_

_My ego is big_

_I don't give a shh.._

_And it goes like this_

People started to gather around the table as Alvin and Brittany danced in sync to the popular new hit song. The girls squealed in leaned against each other for support as they watched their favorite pair sing a song just for them.

_[Alvin and Brittany]_

_Take me by the tongue_

_And I'll know you_

_Kiss me 'til you're drunk_

_And I'll show you_

_All the moves like Jagger_

_I got the moves like Jagger_

_I got the mooooves like Jagger_

_I don't need to try to control you_

_Look into my eyes and I'll own you_

_With them moves like Jagger_

_I got the moves like Jagger_

_I got the mooooves like Jagger_

_[Alvin]_

_Maybe it's hard_

_When it feels like you're broken and scarred_

_Nothing feels right_

_But when you're with me_

_I'll make you believe_

_That I've got the key_

_So get in the car_

_We can ride it_

_Whenever you want_

_Get inside it_

_And you want to steer_

_But I'm shifting gears_

_I'll take it from here_

_Oh yeah, yeah_

_And it goes like this_

_[Alvin and Brittany]_

_Take my by the tongue_

_And I'll know you_

_Kiss me 'til you're drunk_

_And I'll show you_

_All the moves like Jagger_

_I got the moves like Jagger_

_I got the mooooves like Jagger_

_I don't even try to control you_

_Look into my eyes and I'll own you_

_With them moves like Jagger_

_I got the moves like Jagger_

_I got the mooooves like Jagger_

_[Brittany]_

_You want to know how to make me smile_

_Take control, own me just for the night_

_And if I share my secret_

_You're gonna have to keep it_

_Nobody else can see this_

_So watch and learn_

_I won't show you twice_

_Head to toe, ooh baby, rub me right_

_But if I share my secret_

_You're gonna have to keep it_

_Nobody else can see this_

_And it goes like this_

_[Alvin and Brittany]_

_Take my by the tongue_

_And I'll know you_

_Kiss me 'til you're drunk_

_And I'll show you_

_All the moves like Jagger_

_I got the moves like Jagger_

_I got the mooooves like Jagger_

_I don't even try to control you_

_Look into my eyes and I'll own you_

_With them moves like Jagger_

_I got the moves like Jagger_

_I got the mooooves like Jagger_

The crowd gave the pair a rounding applause. Alvin and Brittany smiled and held hands before bowing in front of their audience. The girls were now jumping up and down excitedly. This was like a dream come true for them.

"Thank you, thank you," Alvin said, waving at his admirers. Brittany smirked and stepped in front of him, blowing kisses all around. "What the – hey!"

"I love you all!" Brittany said. Alvin rolled his eyes at her, shaking his head.

"Uh, they're cheering for me," Alvin said smugly, folding his arms.

"Please, Alvin. I'm what makes the song!" Brittany retorted, scoffing.

The crowd around them started to chuckle, snapping the bickering pair out of their current argument. They blushed and giggled, smiling at each other.

_It feels good to go back to normal._

XOXOXOXOXO

_Author's Note: Yay! Looks like Al and Britt are repairing their relationship._

_Next chapter will be up shortly!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 12**

**Memories Never Fade**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

ALVIN

It was Monday. Today was the day they would finally finish their project! Alvin couldn't be happier, for more reasons than one.

Firstly, he hated any kind of schoolwork. While he honestly enjoyed working on his project, he could always think of better things to occupy his time. More importantly, this would mean that Brittany and Charlene didn't have to tolerate each other any longer. This meant that there would be no more awkward tension, and he didn't have to hurt his head trying to come up with ways to appease them both. _That's exhausting!_

"I'm all done with pasting the photos in," Brittany announced cheerfully, showing off her handiwork. Alvin smiled at it while Charlene looked on with disinterest.

"Wow, that looks great! Doesn't it, Charlene?" Alvin said. Charlene immediately brightened up, giving him her best smile.

"Yeah, it does! Good job, Brittany," Charlene congratulated, looking like it pained her to do so.

Brittany smirked at her. "Thanks, Charlene."

"So, Alvin," Charlene said, batting her blue eyes at Alvin. Alvin gulped and pulled at his collar. It was getting awfully hot, all of a sudden. "What are you doing this weekend? You free?"

"Er, actually, me and the family were planning to go out for dinner," Alvin said, giving her a small smile. "Sorry. Can't cancel that. You understand, right?"

"Uh, sure," Charlene said, pouting slightly. "Can I come along?"

"Sorry, we have reservations already," Brittany answered. Charlene glared at her, but Brittany simply shrugged. "Not my fault."

"Yeah, Dave reserved it a month ago," Alvin explained. Charlene sighed deeply and folded her arms. What was her problem today? "Hey, maybe next time."

Charlene just rolled her eyes. She watched as Alvin turned back to Brittany, chatting excitedly. Just what in the world was going on between them? Thing were... different. While Alvin definitely wasn't ignoring her, he wasn't giving her more attention than Brittany, and this pissed her off royally. Even worse, she couldn't get Brittany riled up. No matter how many times she flirted openly with Alvin in front of her, Brittany would only smirk and easily redirect Alvin's attention. _That bitch._

Something was wrong. Very, _very_ wrong. What had happened between them over the weekend?

"So, did anything interesting happen over the weekend?" Charlene asked coolly.

To her horror, Alvin and Brittany smiled at each other. _Something definitely happened._

"Yeah, you could say that," Alvin replied, giving her none of the details she desperately needed. She frowned and he shrugged. "What can I say, a normal weekend."

"Yeah, I see," Charlene said, raising a brow.

_Time to step in before things go too far._

XOXOXOXOXO

The rest of the class time went by rather quickly. Alvin was greatly enjoying talking to Brittany, but he made sure to give plenty of attention to Charlene as well. After all, she was still his friend. He didn't want her to feel left out, especially since she was still relatively new to West Eastman.

Alvin waved goodbye to Brittany as she walked away to join Kayla by the lockers. Charlene walked outside of the classroom with her purse slung over an arm. He walked over to her, smiling.

"Want me to walk you to class?" he offered.

"Oh, so you want to walk me to class, huh? I'm surprised you're not walking _her_ to class instead," Charlene said nastily. She shook her head in disgust. "It's pretty obvious that the two of you are just _so_ close now."

Alvin's jaw dropped, completely caught off guard. He looked at her with a slightly hurt expression. But then, he became furious with her. What did he do wrong this time? He was eager to bring both girls into his conversations, and he made sure not to exclude either of them! _Seriously, what is up with girls these days? They're never satisfied!_

"Look. Brittany and I are close, that's true. But it's nothing serious," Alvin explained as calmly as possible. Charlene looked at him doubtfully. He sighed deeply, sensing a headache coming on. "And why do you care so much? Why are you suddenly so interested in my love life anyway?"

"I don't!" Charlene snapped. Alvin took a step back as she leaned into him angrily, her cheeks a deep red. She huffed and folded her arms, giving him a cold look. "I could care less who you go with. I don't give a crap who you date! I'm just looking out for you, that's all. I don't want you to get hurt," she added quickly.

"I can look after myself," Alvin said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, Brittany wouldn't ever do anything to hurt me. I know you might not like her much," he said. Charlene snapped around and looked at him, shocked. She tried to deny this, but Alvin wasn't an idiot. "It's no big deal if you don't. That's your business. That's between you and her. But Brittany's been a great friend to me for months now, and I'm not going to let whatever beef you have with her ruin that. I'm not getting involved. You hear me?" Alvin finished, looking her in the eye.

Charlene grew silent. She pursed her lips and stared back at Alvin, her expression unreadable. Finally, she smiled.

"That fair," Charlene said, shrugging her shoulders. She then frowned. "Sorry. It's just that I wanted to spend more time with you – and Simon and Theodore. I haven't seen you all in so long, and I came all this way to do just that."

"Wait, what? I thought you mainly came here to start your singing career," Alvin said, raising a brow.

"That's part of the reason, yes," Charlene said, smirking. "But, you know... you've never left my mind. Even after all this time."

Alvin looked away, blushing slightly. How was he supposed to react to _that?_ Granted, Charlene could be considered his best friend from when he was younger. And, maybe, he might have had a small, kiddie crush on her at one point. But that was a long time ago, and he had grown out of it. That, he was certain of. But what if Charlene had felt the same way all those years ago? What if those feelings only deepened over time? Alvin winced at the thought. What if she had real, genuine feelings for him? For a moment, he wondered how things would have turned out if they did get together...

Alvin shook his head, ashamed and disgusted with himself. _What the hell is wrong with me? That's all in the past._

"I can't deny that I missed you too," Alvin smiled. Charlene smiled back brightly. "It's good to have you back. I hope things can go back to normal now."

"I'm not even sure if that's possible at this point," Charlene grumbled.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Alvin asked.

"Things are _not _the same, Alvin!" Charlene snapped, throwing her paws in the air. Alvin looked at her as if she was completely insane. "Look at it: we're going to school, working on our singing careers, you and your brothers are adopted by a _human_," she ranted. Alvin took slight offense to this. Where did she get off talking down to humans? Especially his Dad. "Oh, and let's not forget about the _Chipettes_," she said bitterly.

"Stop right there. There are loads of female chipmunks in the wild. So don't even go there," Alvin cut in. "That's nothing new."

"Shut up, Alvin. I know damn well that there were always floozies that chased you around, even before you got big," Charlene scoffed, disgusted with his arrogance. "But none of them lived under the same roof as you, did they? How close are you to them, hm? Heck, even _I_ never lived with you guys before, and I've known you all longer than any of them! Now, all of a sudden, three random chicks just move in with you all? This must be a dream come true for you, huh?" she said icily.

"I do _not _look at her sisters that way. What the hell do you think I am? Do you think that little of me to think I'd hit on Brittany's sisters? Or even think about it?" Alvin snapped, losing his temper. Sure, he admitted that he was a flirt. But he was a flirt with morals. And strict ones. Hitting on Brittany's sisters, not to mention his little brothers' love interests, was a line he never wanted to cross. It sickened him to think that Charlene would think that way about him. "Eleanor's like a little sister to me, and I know Theo has a huge crush on her. And Jeanette? She's like a carbon-copy of Simon! She's nice too, though, but come on. They're my friends. Always have, always will. So you can just drop that idea right now."

Charlene raised a brow. "What about Brittany? I didn't hear you say she was above your flirtations."

"W-What? Huh?" Alvin gaped. He blushed and tried his best to come up with an explanation. "I told you, she's just a really great friend of mine! We haven't done anything together!"

He stopped. _Why do I owe her an explanation? Since when did I have to explain anything to her?_

"I'm getting tired of all this questioning, Charlene," Alvin said, glaring at her. "Seriously, why should I have to tell you all of my business?"

"You've really let your career go to that fat head of yours," Charlene sneered. "No matter what, you'll always be that scruffy, annoying chipmunk I always knew from back in the forest."

"Thanks for the passive-aggressive comment," Alvin said sarcastically. He sighed, rubbing at his temple. Honestly, he was beginning to tire of her company. Fast. But he forced himself to try and understand where she was coming from. She just missed him, right? "Listen, do you want me to sit with you at lunch? If you wanted more time to talk to me, you could've just said so instead of arguing with me."

"You should have known to do that anyway!" Charlene said, blushing slightly. She put a hand on her hip, giving him a look. "Instead of putting me through all this grief!"

"What grief?" Alvin laughed. He put and arm around her as he started to walk her to her next class. Charlene smirked, rolling her eyes at him. "Don't pout. I'm more than happy to spend time with my old friend."

_And I'll make sure to let her know that she's just that._


	13. Chapter 13

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 13**

**Pay Off**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

BRITTANY

Brittany hummed cheerfully as she slung her pink backpack over her shoulder and closed her newly organized locker. She smiled over at her sisters, waving.

"See you at lunch, Ellie!" Brittany said.

"See you later, Britt!" Eleanor said happily, cheerful as always.

"Um, bye," Jeanette said timidly, waving meekly. Brittany glared at her and pointedly turned on her heel to walk down the hallway. She heard Jeanette sigh and walk away.

Brittany sighed when she was out of earshot. She hated doing this to her little sister, but she honestly deserved it this time. Jeanette and Brittany seemed to be constantly arguing ever since Jeanette started hanging around with _her._ And every time Brittany tried to warn her to watch her back, Jeanette would just accuse her of being judgmental. _I don't have to deal with that mess. It's her funeral._

It wasn't like her and her sisters never bickered, or argued. She was sure any person who had a brother or sister would understand that they could drive each other up a wall occasionally. But they were nothing serious, and they always showed their sisterly bond in the end. She loved her little sisters, and would forgive them no matter what they did. But she wasn't so eager to let Jeanette off the hook this time.

_It's clear that, no matter what, she's on Charlene's side, _Brittany thought, rolling her eyes in disgust. _Of all the times she decides to grow a backbone, it has to be over that treacherous skank. What gives? Jeanette's usually so cautious!_

She sighed and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She hated thinking that way about her own family. Yes, she was mad, but a part of her really did want to protect her sisters from whatever Charlene was planning. And she was _sure_ she was planning something, even if nobody else believed her. On the other hand, she had to let Jeanette make her own mistakes. She was a sister, not a mother.

"Brittany! I've been looking all over for you!"

Brittany looked up to see Stephanie running over to her as fast as she could. She stopped a few feet in front of her, out of breath with her hands on her knees.

"Stephanie, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Brittany asked, looking her over suspiciously.

"I'm more than okay! The results from cheer leading tryouts are posted today!" Stephanie said excitedly. Forgetting her breathlessness, she bounced around. "I am so stoked!"

"Oh my gosh, you're right!" Brittany said, squealing excitedly and scurrying up the side of Stephanie's sundress and standing on her shoulder. "Let's go!"

As they ran through he hallway, Brittany crossed her fingers and whispered a small prayer. There was nothing she wanted more in the whole wide world! _Well, except being rich and famous. But I already got that._

When they arrived at the bulletin board, there was already a huge crowd of hopefuls waiting for them. Stephanie scoffed and tried to peer over the other girls. Brittany watched the other girls' reactions to see if things were looking good for new recruits. To her disappointment, most of the girls' expressions fell and they sigh sadly. Brittany couldn't handle the suspense any longer. She covered her eyes and wrapped her tail around her body.

"Oh, I can't look!" she said. "Stephanie, be my eyes."

Stephanie finally got a good look at the list. She gasped. "Oh, Britt..."

"Oh, man, I can't believe I didn't make it!" Brittany wailed. She felt like crying! She had practiced her butt off for months just to make it on the team, and it _still_ didn't mean anything. "I nearly broke my neck trying to practice all of those complicated back flips! I just know Charlene rigged the votes somehow, that bi –"

"Psyche!" Stephanie said, bursting out in laughter. Brittany looked over at her, stopped in mid-rant. "You made it!"

Brittany glared at her, fuming. "You better not _ever_ do that again! I can't believe you!" she snapped, lightly smacking the side of her friend's head with a paw. Stephanie just cackled, finding the whole thing extremely amusing.

_Wait a minute. I made it on the list! I did it!_

Brittany brightened up. She couldn't believe it! Her, a real cheerleader. The first chipmunk ever to be on a cheer leading squad. For God's sake, she was making history!

"I made it! I made it!" Brittany sang, dancing on Stephanie's shoulder. Stephanie watched her with an amused smile as her little chipmunk friend shook her hips. "I can't believe I actually got on the team! Well, then again, I always _knew_ I would," she said quickly, flipping her hair with confidence. She gave Stephanie a sheepish smile. "There really was no doubt!"

"I'm happy for you, Britt," Stephanie said, her smile wavering slightly. Brittany's smile immediately disappeared.

Brittany stood on the tips of her toes and squinted at the list. She scanned the list three times... but Stephanie's name wasn't printed anywhere. Brittany's shoulders sagged and her ears lied flat against her head. She felt terrible for gloating and dancing around while one of her best friends suffered the disappointment of not making the team. She leaned over and hugged the side of Stephanie's head. Stephanie looked at her quizzically.

"I'm so sorry, Stephanie," Brittany said softly. "And I'm sorry for being so insensitive. I just do things without thinking sometimes. I'm sorry."

Stephanie laughed and patted her back. She then waved her hand and shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, it's no big deal. You win some, you lose some, right? I can always try again next year."

Brittany smiled at her. Stephanie was always like that. In a way, Brittany really wished she could be more humble and carefree. Instead of letting her failures bring her down, Stephanie took it all in stride and only thought of what to do to make it better the next time she tried. It was very classy.

"Don't worry. I'll do my best for the both of us," Brittany reassured her. She then put her hands on her hips, suddenly extremely offended. "Where do they get off not voting for you, anyway? Those witches!"

Stephanie laughed and poked Brittany in the tummy. "Don't say that! But, thanks, Britt. I know you'll go far."


	14. Chapter 14

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 14**

**Two Surprises**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

ALVIN

Alvin leaned against the bench, wiping some sweat from his forehead. _I swear, I'm happy to be the first chipmunk football player. But this sport is going to be the death of me one day._

Hopping down onto the warm grass, Alvin looked over at his friends out on the field. Ryan was bragging (as usual) to a few of their teammates. Something about Ray, and how they were totally right for each other.

_Yeah, right! _Alvin smirked, laughing softly. _A match made in hell, if I ever saw one._

"Alvin! Alvinnnn!"

Alvin started slightly and barely had time to look around when Brittany nearly bowled him over as she jumped into his arms. He fell back, looking up in shock at an ecstatic Brittany.

"What was that for?" Alvin asked incredulously. "What's up?"

"I made it on the squad!" Brittany beamed, bouncing slightly in his lap. "Oh. Em. Gee. Can you believe I actually made it, Alvin?"

Alvin grinned brightly, giving her a hug. "That's great, Britt! I'm proud of you."

Brittany smiled and stood up, extending a hand to Alvin. Alvin took it and let her pull him to his feet.

"Thanks, Alvin. It means a lot to have you supporting me," Brittany blushed. Alvin brightened up. It was always cute when she blushed, since she was normally so confident. She then looked at him, slightly flirtatious. "So, I guess I'll be cheering you on when you're in a game. You better make mama proud," she teased.

He grinned at her flirtation. He was happy to know that their back-and-forth banter had returned. "Oh, you know I will."

Ryan waltzed over, looking at the pair with a smirk. Alvin groaned inwardly. _God, Ryan, not now._

"Aw, isn't that cute?" Ryan said, poking out his lip childishly. "Did you propose to your little girlfriend, Alvin?"

Alvin and Brittany blushed a bright red. He did _not_ just go there! How could he say something so embarrassing, and right to their faces?

"Shut up, Ryan!" Brittany snapped, folding her arms. Ryan snickered in response. "What we do is none of your business, thank you very much."

Alvin couldn't help but smile. She didn't seem _repulsed_ by the idea of them hitching...

"Whatever. You guys aren't fooling anyone," Ryan said, giving Brittany a wink. Brittany huffed and waved him off. He looked over at Alvin, tapping his foot. "You need to move your butt and get back to practice."

Annoyed that Ryan had managed to ruin his time with Brittany, he reluctantly gave in. "Yeah, Ryan's right. Sorry, Britt. I promise we'll celebrate later, okay?" he added hopefully.

Brittany smiled warmly. "I'd like that."

With that, Brittany waved at the two boys before scurrying back towards the main building of the school. Alvin waved back, smiling dreamily. _She's just, wow..._

Ryan started to make kissy faces. Alvin gritted his teeth and snapped out of his thoughts, punching his friend in the ankle.

"Ow!" Ryan stepped back, laughing. "Dude, you are so sprung."

"Iamnotshutup," Alvin said in one breath, shoving his hands into his jeans. "Come on, let's get back to practice."

Trent smiled as his two friends walked over to him. He caught the football and stowed it under his arm. "What are you two fighting about now?"

"Genius here thinks that Brittany and I are dating or something," Alvin said, rolling his eyes. "Stupid, right?"

"I don't know, Alvin," Trent said, shrugging his shoulders. "What wrong with you and Brittany dating? I think it could work, actually."

"We're taking things slow!" Alvin said, laughing awkwardly. He then held out his hands, shaking his head. "N-Not that I'm planning on dating her, or anything! Er..."

"He's totally sprung," Trent and Ryan said at the same time, roaring in laughter. Alvin sneered at them, quickly tiring of their company.

Alvin was suddenly knocked back and tackled into the grass below. Trent and Ryan stopped laughing and looked down at the male chipmunk with wide, questioning eyes. Alvin rubbed at his head, his golden eyes spinning around from the unforeseen blow. After recovering, he looked up at the chipmunk who was lying on top of him. He paled when he saw it was Charlene. _Oh come ON. I do not need people to get any ideas about us because of this!_

"C-Charlene, what are you doing out here?" Alvin asked, quickly sitting up. He glanced around nervously, but was relieved to find that they didn't attract much attention. "What's up?"

Charlene giggled and got up, pulling Alvin to his feet for the second time that day. Alvin brushed off his clothes and looked down at her curiously.

"I have a big surprise for you this afternoon!" Charlene said, hopping up and down with uncontainable excitement. She then bit her lip coyly. "That is, if I can come over? I don't want to impose."

"Well, sure!" Alvin said, smiling. He was more than interested in whatever surprise she had in store for him. What could it be? "I'll let my Dad and the others know you'll be stopping by."

"Awesome," Charlene said. She turned and waved goodbye to him as she started to scamper back to class. "I'll see you after school!"

"What was that all about?" Ryan asked, watching as Alvin waved back.

Alvin could only shrug. His guess was as good as his.

_But one thing's for sure, I can't wait to see what it is!_

XOXOXOXOXO

Later that evening, the Chipmunks and Chipettes walked back home from school. The group of six were excitedly chatting about what had gone on in their school lives, while Alvin bit his lip.

_I better bring this up now._

"Hey, er..." Alvin started, choosing his words very carefully. "Charlene wants to visit this afternoon. Only a visit!" he added quickly when Brittany snapped her head around to stare at him. "She says she has some kind of surprise. Is that cool with you guys?"

"Sounds fine to me," Simon said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Sure," Theodore said, nodding.

"Yeah! I can't wait to have her over," Jeanette said happily. Apparently, Charlene and her were becoming BFFs or something. "I hope we'll have time to talk."

Alvin reluctantly looked over at Brittany. To his surprise, both Brittany and Eleanor glanced at each other with less than thrilled expressions. While he was pretty sure Eleanor wasn't really friends with Charlene, she seemed to share the same distaste for her as Brittany did. He briefly wondered if something happened between them. However, he forgot all about it when Brittany nodded at him, giving him a small smile.

"Sure, that's fine," Brittany said. It sounded forced, but Alvin wasn't complaining.

"Yeah," Eleanor said, nodding her head several times. "As long as it's just a visit! We have lots of studying to do for our exams next week."

Alvin sighed in relief. He had come out of it alive.

Soon, the group arrived at home. They went about their evenings normally: doing homework, Alvin slacking off, Dave yelling at him, and then the family settling down to have dinner together. Just as they were about to dig in, the front doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Alvin offered, quickly jumping off the table and running over to the front door. He climbed up the nearby coat rack and opened the door. He jumped back down and smiled, expecting to see Charlene standing in the doorway. However, Ian was standing right behind her. "What the! Ian? What are _you _doing here!"

"I was –"

Alvin didn't care for his answer. He quickly pushed the door closed, crunching Ian's foot in the process. Alvin smirked as he roared in pain from outside.

"Alvin!" Charlene snapped. Alvin opened the door, watching as Ian hopped up and down as he clutched his injured foot. Charlene glared at him. "What are you doing? He's my manager, don't you remember?"

"Sorry. Reflexes," Alvin smirked. Ian glared down at him. "My bad."

Alvin turned around as he heard his brothers and the Chipettes scurry over to see what all the commotion was about. The Chipettes gasped in surprise while his brothers immediately went on the defensive. What was he doing here? What did he want this time? He already had his star.

"Can we come in already?" Charlene snapped, pushing open the door. "How rude."

"Not so fast. What is _he_ doing here?" Jeanette asked, looking up at her former manager cautiously.

"I was invited," Ian said, rolling his eyes at the small brunette.

The six chipmunks looked at Ian like he had lost his mind. It was entirely possible, after all. He was always off.

"What are you talking about?" Simon snapped, folding his arms. "Who invited you, then?"

"I did," Dave said, walking into the foyer. The Chipmunks and Chipettes spun around and stared up at him with mouths agape. What was he thinking? "I was the one who suggested we set a meeting up tonight."

"Why, Dave? What could we possibly have to talk about with _him_?" Simon asked, pointing an accusatory finger at their enemy. "The man put us in cages, for God's sake!"

"Exactly!" Jeanette agreed, shooting a cold glare at him. "And he threatened to hurt me and my sisters!"

"I wasn't _seriously_ about to barbeque you guys," Ian coughed. The Chipettes gave him a doubtful stare. "What? I'm serious! I was only bluffing!"

"Oh, that makes it _so_ much better," Eleanor said sarcastically, paws on her hips. Ian and Charlene just glared at her.

"Believe me, I understand more than anyone what Ian's done," Dave said, shaking his head at his former friend. "But I just think it's about time we move on. Water under the bridge. Having this silly war with him is tiring, don't you think?" he asked. The Chipmunks and Chipettes just stared back at him. "Come on, guys. You all have to agree that it's beginning to get old fast."

"Besides, more importantly, David and I have come up with a great business venture," Ian chimed in.

"That's the surprise," Charlene said, smiling brightly. "Dave and Ian want us to team up for a future contest at the next Music Awards! Isn't that great?"

Alvin's jaw dropped open. Was _this _the big surprise she was talking about? If so, why did she think this was a good thing? Sure, he expressed interest in wanting to sing with her, but why did Ian have to be dragged into this? And this wasn't only about him: certainly, his brothers and the Chipettes would have something to say about this. Especially Brittany.

"What? Are you kidding me?" Brittany yelled, outraged. Alvin honestly couldn't blame her. Sure, he understood Dave's train of thought, but why didn't he run it by them first? "When were the two of you going to tell us of this little _surprise?_:"

"Honestly? I didn't think it was that big of a deal," Dave said, shrugging. His six, furry charges looked at him in complete disbelief. "Look, guys. I didn't want to upset you. And it's not like this is a permanent thing. Just one concert. I thought it would be a nice change of pace, and for you guys to spend more time with Charlene. She came over a few times, and it seems like you all got along well."

Brittany narrowed her eyes. Alvin gulped, pulling at his collar. _Oh boy._

Charlene ran over and hugged Alvin and Jeanette's arms. "Good surprise, huh?"

Brittany looked over at them, crossing her arms. Alvin sighed deeply.

"Yeah. It's a real surprise alright..."


	15. Chapter 15

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 15**

**Your Secrets**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

BRITTANY

_I hate that witch._

Brittany's cheeks heated up just at the thought of the girl. Things had been going so well! But she somehow knew it would be too good to last when it came to Charlene.

_This is a total disaster! _Brittany thought angrily. She was certain this was another scheme of hers to get closer to Alvin. Ian? She didn't care about him. He had tried again and again to harm their careers, and he always failed. Besides, this was personal.

_If she thinks she can have things her way, she's got another thing coming._

"Well, it's not that bad," Jeanette reasoned. Charlene smiled over at her brightly. Of course, she was all for it. "What do you think we'll be singing with her?"

"Well –" Eleanor started.

"Get real, Jeanette," Brittany spat, rolling her eyes in disgust. Jeanette blushed and looked down at her paws. "We are _not_ singing with her."

"You can't stop the others from performing if they want to," Jeanette said quickly. Brittany raised her eyebrows at her. "You can't bully everyone into doing what you want, Brittany."

"I know I can't stop anyone," Brittany said, resisting the overwhelming urge to snap at her. Sometimes, Jeanette infuriated her. Now she understood where Alvin's fights with his own nerdy sibling came from. "But I seriously doubt I'm the only one thinking this way."

"What is Dave thinking?" Eleanor said incredulously. "How are we supposed to get along with Ian and Charlene?"

"What is with you two?" Jeanette asked, narrowing her violet eyes at her two sisters. Eleanor and Brittany just stared back, unmoved. "Honestly! I've never known the two of you to be so judgmental –"

"Zip it, Jeanette," Brittany said, holding up a paw. Jeanette's eyes widened in surprise, but Brittany couldn't care less at the moment. While she still loved her little sister, she was quickly tiring of the same crap she was spewing. "Just because you're wild about your new _BFF,_" Brittany gagged as if she was going to be sick all over the floor. "It doesn't mean the rest of us have to. Keep that in mind."

Jeanette blushed red and glared back at Brittany, furious. Brittany stood her ground. If they were going to take it this far, then so be it.

"You guys really should try and get along with Charlene," Jeanette said, clenching her fists. Her eyes then softened as she calmed down. "I mean, she's known the Chipmunks a lot longer than any of us have. What's the harm in getting to know her? If they like her, then she can't be _that_ bad."

"Oh, yes she can," Brittany said flatly. "Things change."

"But don't you two want to know more about them? Doesn't it seem like they're hiding something?" Jeanette asked desperately. It looked like she was dying to know some big secret. "I know I do. But Simon just won't open up about it. And I know something's bothering him. I just want to help him."

"What exactly do you want to know?" Brittany asked, raising a brow.

"I think I know what Jeanette means," Eleanor said reluctantly. Brittany and Jeanette looked over at the younger Chipette questioningly. "I asked Theodore something about his parents, but he was really adamant about not talking about them. I didn't push it, because it sounds kind of personal. But I remember Dave telling us that the boys did know their parents. So... why don't they like to talk about them?"

"Exactly," Jeanette said, sighing. She bit her lip sadly. "I don't want to push the issue, but it seems like something that they would feel better getting off their chests."

"Well, I'm not willing to go to Charlene to find out," Brittany said, rolling her eyes. "If the guys ever want to share it, they'll share it with us directly. Us snooping around isn't going to help. It might get them upset."

"Britt's right," Eleanor said, nodding slowly. "Trying to pry it out of them isn't going to do much."

"I guess," Jeanette said softly.

Brittany looked down at her manicured claws, her curiosity piqued. What happened to Alvin in the past that would make him and his brothers not want to open up? Brittany and her sisters were fortunate enough to know their parents and uncle. What could have happened...?

Brittany shook her head, disgusted with herself. _Now, here I go wondering myself! It's none of my business..._

XOXOXOXOXO

Later that day, Brittany found herself completely and utterly _bored._

Stephanie and Kayla were busy with their own studies, so she couldn't go to their regular hot spots to hang out. Jeanette and her, despite their earlier conversation, still refused to spend too much time together in the same room. She would have went to spend time with Eleanor,but she was a bit occupied at the moment...

Brittany cut her eyes at the short, chubby couple sitting on the opposite end of the couch. They were "supposedly" studying together, but from the way Theodore was smiling at her and how often Eleanor giggled and blushed, Brittany knew it was a lot more than that.

_It would be kind of cute if it wasn't so mushy!_ Brittany thought with a small chuckle. _Hm.. I wonder what Alvin's up to?_

Hopping off of the living room couch, Brittany set out to find her counterpart. He wasn't in his room, kitchen, or backyard patio. Brittany tapped her chin, wondering where he could be.

"Looking for Alvin?" Dave smirked, watching the pink-clad chipmunk look around intently. Brittany smiled and nodded. "He's on the front porch. He says he's doing his homework, but I'm sure he's doing something else," Dave said, rolling his eyes.

"Thanks Dave!" Brittany giggled, scurrying out to the front yard. Sure enough, Alvin was sitting on the bench swing with his Literature textbook propped in front of him. However, he was lying on his back with his eyes closed, obviously enjoying the warm evening sunlight. _That slacker! _"There you are! I've been looking all over for you.

Alvin started slightly and looked down at Brittany. He smiled brightly at the sight of her. "Aw, missed me?"

"Hardly," Brittany said, smirking.

"What's up?" Alvin asked, sitting up.

Brittany looked away. Her curiosity was killing her inside. She hated that part of her. The part that couldn't resist wanting to know a secret. But this wasn't some piece of harmless gossip from school. This was obviously something very personal for Alvin. Was it right for her to ask? She didn't want to bring up bad memories for him. That was the last thing she wanted to do: to hurt Alvin.

"I just wanted to talk," Brittany said softly. "Is that okay with you?"

"Sure, Britt," Alvin smiled, holding out a hand. Brittany took it and allowed herself to be pulled up beside him. "You know you can tell me anything. What's on your mind?"

"I guess I'm feeling a little homesick," Brittany confessed. This wasn't a lie. She really did miss spending time with her mother and father. Who knew how they were doing? Where were they? Did they miss them as much as she missed them?Brittany made sure to keep up a strong front, but even she felt the loneliness sometimes. "I miss my Mom and Dad."

Alvin nodded. "Go on."

"Sometimes, I wonder if they might be watching us on the TV. Or maybe catch word of us from the radio, or see us on a magazine," Brittany said, sighing. "I guess I just want them to know that we've made it. I want them to come back and see how proud we've made them. Do you wonder that too, sometimes?"

"Not really," Alvin sneered. Brittany looked over at him in surprise. "I really couldn't care less at this point."

"Oh, uh, okay," Brittany said awkwardly, taken off guard by his cold reaction. "Gotcha."

Awkward silence filled the air.

"Alvin."

"Huh?"

"Why don't you and your brothers talk about your parents?" Brittany blurted out. She smacked a hang over her mouth when Alvin turned to face her, expression unreadable. _Darn it, Brittany! What is the matter with you! _"I-I'm so sorry. That was totally wrong of me. You don't have to answer that," she sighed. She blushed, looking down at her lap. "I'm just so nosy sometimes. I'm sorry, Alvin."

Alvin didn't respond. He only turned away from her and stared at something in the distance. Brittany gulped down her guilt. He was upset, she knew. Didn't she say she never wanted to hurt him? So why did she ask? Sure, she really did want to know. Maybe talking about it would make him feel better. But she was also being selfish. She wanted to know so bad that she just blurted it out without thinking of how he'd react. Brittany couldn't blame him if he was angry with her...

Alvin moved closer and took Brittany hand in his. Brittany jumped slightly and looked up into his golden eyes, unsure of what to say. Alvin smiled at her weakly. He looked so tired.

"I can tell you, I think," Alvin said, sighing. Brittany twitched her nose, concern overwhelming her. "Do you promise not to look at me differently? I don't want pity. I haven't even told Dave yet."

"I promise, Alvin," Brittany said sincerely, giving his paw a squeeze. "Your secret's safe with me. I won't even tell my sisters."

"Thanks," Alvin said. He took in a deep breath, his paw trembling slightly. Brittany gave it a squeeze. "You know, I'm a little jealous, Brittany. Your parents sound like _real_ parents. They wanted you and loved you. They did anything to make you happy. Our parents were the complete opposite."

"Alvin.." Brittany said softly.

"Our parents never wanted kits. They viewed the three of us as annoyances. Extra baggage," Alvin said, shaking his head. His eyes turned dark with hatred. Brittany gasped softly, but remained quiet. She had seen Alvin angry before, but this was something different. It went far beyond bitterness or anger. He truly hated his parents. "My Mom dropped Theodore on his head when he was a newborn. It wasn't an accident, she was just plain careless. Simon and I had to nurse him back to health, he was bleeding so badly."

"How could they? They didn't even care?" Brittany said incredulously. "But you're her sons!"

"I'm glad you have more sense than she did," Alvin said, laughing darkly. He frowned as he continued. "Thankfully, Theodore didn't suffer anything major. He's a bit off sometimes, but he's fine all around. And then, after just a week of having us around, they up and left. I tried to stop them. I even begged them to come back. For my brothers' sake. But they refused to be shackled up with kids for the next few years. Told me they were too young to be parents. They had lives to live, and we had no place in that. They left, and we had to fend for ourselves ever since.

Mortified, Brittany fought back tears. She had always thought the Chipmunks and the Chipettes were so much alike. But the reality was that they had grown up with totally different backgrounds. Her parents were always there for her and her sisters, not to mention her Uncle Roy. In contrast, Alvin and his brothers had suffered abuse and neglect from those who should have loved and cared for them the most. _Oh Alvin... no wonder he didn't want to talk about it._

Alvin glanced over at her and forced a smile. It was a smile devoid of his usual playfulness, and it hurt Brittany to know that she was the reason why he had to recall such painful memories.

"Sorry," Alvin said. He laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his head. "It's a really depressing topic – Brittany?"

Alvin blushed slightly as Brittany pulled him into a firm hug. Brittany wrapped her arms around his waist and back and just held him. Alvin relaxed in her arms and slowly returned the hug, sighing deeply.

"I'm so sorry, Alvin," Brittany whispered, rubbing his back soothingly. "Your parents made a huge mistake. They don't know how lucky they are to have you guys as sons. You're all so talented and strong. I don't understand how anyone would want to abandon you like that."

"You mean that?" Alvin asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Of course I do!" Brittany smiled. She folded her arms, going into her trademark pouty look. "They're loss!"

"Right!" Alvin laughed. Brittany was relieved. She hated seeing Alvin down. It just had a way of bringing her down as well when she saw him upset. "It feels good to finally tell someone, though. I mean, I'm over it, obviously. The three of us held our own pretty well out there in the wild. And hey, we found Dave, right? He's a real dad," Alvin said with a smile.

"Totally," Brittany said, nodding in agreement.

"Maybe it was a blessing in disguise," Alvin said thoughtfully. Brittany looked at him curiously and his smile widened. "Well, if they weren't such crappy parents, I might have never met you either. It would be a real shame if I never got to know you, Britt."

Brittany blushed deeply, feeling her heart skip a beat. "I-I feel the same way, Alvin. Maybe it is kinda a good thing."

To her surprise, Alvin was unexpectedly close to her. Had he leaned into her? Or did she?

Brittany began to pull away, embarrassed. "Oh! Uh, sorry. Didn't mean to invade your personal space."

"No!" Alvin said almost immediately, grabbing her paw. Brittany jumped slightly and looked down at his paw, making Alvin blush wildly. "Uh, I mean, you don't have to. I mean – ugh! – I don't mind us being close. Like this..." he sighed, frustrated with himself. Why couldn't he think straight? "That is..."

"You're kind of cute when you babble," Brittany said, giggling. Alvin glared at her.

"Oh, thanks," Alvin said, rolling his eyes. "And to think I wanted to repay you for listening to me."

"Aw, I was only kidding around!" Brittany said quickly. "Besides you don't have to – A-Alvin!"

"Just... be quiet. Before I lose my nerve," Alvin muttered, his lips close to her own. Brittany's tail frizzed up with nervous energy as she stared back at him with bated breath. He was only mere inches away from kissing her. "Just... shut up and kiss me."

Any other day, Brittany would have tackled him to the floor. Not because she didn't _want_ to kiss him (not like she'd tell anyone!), but because he had the nerve to tell her to shut up. But, oddly enough, it only worked to make her blush deeper and her heart skip beats.

_How does he do that? Even when he's a jerk, he's still hot,_ Brittany thought in her mind. She smiled slightly. _I guess that's Alvin Seville for you._

"Gladly," Brittany said softly, leaning into him. She pulled at his collar, bringing his nose to touch her own petite one. "But you better not say that to me again."

She gasped softly as he gently pressed his lips against her own. This was her first kiss, so she was more than a little nervous. But as Alvin gently wrapped his arms around her waste and pulled her closer to him, she relaxed into his warmth. The kiss wasn't very deep, but it was slow, sweet, and passionate. Brittany hugged him close, wanting even more of him. How long had she secretly wanted to do this? How many daydreams did she have in the middle of class of a situation just like this? But she was always too scared of rejection to ever really try. In the end, Alvin had the same feelings as her. And it made her heart swell in relief and happiness at this realization. He felt the same way, and that was all that mattered.

All too soon for her liking, Alvin pulled away from the kiss. Brittany pouted slightly, making Alvin laugh heartily. He took her hand and planted a kiss on the back of it. Brittany smiled, rolling her eyes.

"It's getting cold out here," Alvin said, glancing around at the leaves rusting in the chilly wind. "Let's go inside. Maybe you can help me with my homework. You were always pretty good at Literature," Alvin added, hope in his voice.

"Sure! Since you're so dense, you'd be a mess without me," Brittany teased. Alvin grinned and led her back inside, hand still closed around her own. Brittany giggled as she followed Alvin inside.


	16. Chapter 16

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 16**

**Old Time's Sake**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

ALVIN

He was on cloud nine. It had been a long time since he'd been this happy, this elated. But he had a good reason: he and his long-time crush, Brittany Miller, were finally dating. For two months, now. It was almost unreal.

_Well, if this is a dream, I better not wake up, _Alvin thought with a smirk.

He flipped through his iPod, humming softly. He was looking for any potential songs for them to sing at their upcoming concerts. As far as his brothers and the Chipettes were concerned, they were already ready for their concerts. However, they now had to plan for the concert arranged with Charlene. While he wasn't that angry at the prospect of singing with her, he definitely wasn't wild about all the extra work that came along with it.

However, his thoughts soon drifted back to the pink-clad Chipette that just wouldn't leave his mind. It would all be worth it if he could perform with her on stage. Watch her dance and sing her heart out in her favorite sparkly dress. He always was fond of that. But they would sing together not as friends or mere co-workers, but as a couple for the very first time.

The door of his bedroom creaked open, catching his attention. He turned to see who it was. Charlene waved at him as she strutted over in her regular white jacket and red dress. He waved back, a small frown creasing his features.

Regardless of how close the two of them were, he still wasn't thrilled with the way she threw the news at them. More and more, he was beginning to understand where Brittany was coming from. Charlene had a bad habit of forcing people into situations they didn't like. Even way back then, it was something he noticed.

"You look chipper today," Charlene pointed, coming to sit beside him on his bed. "Something good happen?"

"You could say that," Alvin said, smiling.

"So... what happened?" Charlene asked, somewhat impatiently. She then smirked and flipped her long, golden ponytail in a cocky manner. Alvin couldn't help but chuckle at this. "Oh, I think I know why. It must be because you're excited about us singing together again! It'll be just like old times!"

"I am," Alvin said slowly. This was true. It _had_ been a long time since he had last sung with Charlene. "But I'm also excited about something else. Brittany and I started dating."

Charlene's face went pale. Alvin looked at her, gauging her reaction carefully. If his suspicions were correct, he knew exactly how she'd react to the news.

"How dare you do this to me!" Charlene yelled angrily, taking him completely off guard. He leaned away from her as she shot to her feet, fists balled up in anger. For a second, Alvin thought she was going to punch him. Her blue eyes flashed dangerously, disturbing him somewhat. He had seen her angry, but something was different this time. "I came all this way just to see you and you completely ignore me for some _chick? _What about my feelings, Alvin!"

_Well, she reacted worse than I expected, _Alvin thought. He stared back at her, flabbergasted.

_What the hell is she talking about? _Alvin thought, anger quickly bubbling up inside him. _We never dated! Sure, when we were little, we had a little kiddy crush on each other. But nothing ever came out of it! I had a feeling that she might have feelings for me, but she needs to get a grip._

"Tone it down," Alvin snapped. Charlene didn't back down. She simply folded her arms over her chest and looked at him coldly. "You and I? We're not dating. Never were! So, why are you so upset?"

Charlene didn't answer. This only served to piss him off further.

"Besides, you used to date other guys all the time! Or did you, all of a sudden forget?" Alvin sneered. Charlene's eyes widened. It was obvious that she thought he wouldn't remember. Truthfully, he used to get a little jealous when he saw her with other guys, but that was in the past. "Yeah, I remember. You used to go around dating a lot of other guys, but I never gave you hell about it! So why are you doing this to me?"

"Don't make this about me. This is about _you,_" Charlene said nastily, poking him painfully in the chest. Alvin had half a mind to smack her hand away, but he resisted. "How could you? Do you even know anything about this girl? How do you know she's not out to hurt you? Huh?"

"Oh please," Alvin snapped, rolling his eyes at her. "I know Brittany well enough to know she'd never do something like that. Brittany's not like that, despite what you think."

"What does Brittany have that I don't have?" Charlene cut in childishly, narrowing her eyes at him. "Tell me."

Alvin grew silent. He did care for Charlene. It was impossible for him not to. But there was just something different about Brittany. Something important that made him feel at ease when he was in her company. She had a way of making his blood boil in anger when they fought, but it was also something he would never change about her. Charlene was just... missing something. He just couldn't put his finger on what it was. It used to be there, but over time, it seemed to have vanished.

"Look, Charlene, don't do this," Alvin said, sighing deeply. "I like you. You're a great friend. I know you know that too. But Brittany and I... we just have something different. What can I say?"

"I see," Charlene said, turning away.

"Charlene," Alvin said softly, placing a paw on her shoulder. Charlene snatched away from him.

"It's a shame the wrong Chipmunk fell in love with me," Charlene mumbled, almost inaudibly.

Alvin froze. He then spun her around to face him. "What did you just say?"

Charlene quickly looked away again, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, I'm just hurt. I'm just saying things. It's just... I came all this way just to see you, and you're ignoring me."

"I am _not_ ignoring you," Alvin said firmly. While he hated to see girls cry, her tactic was quickly getting on his nerves. How was he ignoring her? He was jumping through hoops just to make sure she was involved! "I agreed to go through with this partnership because I want to be around you more. You're still my friend."

"I know, I know..." Charlene said sadly. She then wiped at her eyes and gave him a weak smile. "Can you give me another chance?"

"I'm not cheating on Brittany," Alvin said adamantly. He may be a lot of things, but he refused to be a cheater. Breaking Brittany's heart and ruining any chance he had with her to make their relationship work was something he never wanted to do. "Sorry."

"Are you serious?" Charlene snapped, frustrated. She calmed herself down and shook her head. "Hm, fine. But, the least you could to is sing a song with just the two of us. For old time's sake. Can you do that for me? Please?"

Alvin looked at her suspiciously. That same strange flash was in her eyes. For some reason, it made him very uneasy.

Shaking it off, he nodded and brought Charlene into a hug. "Sure. For old time's sake."

"Thanks, Alvin," Charlene said, smiling up at him brightly. "I'd like that a lot."


	17. Chapter 17

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 17**

**Getting Things Your Way**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

BRITTANY

Brittany hummed happily as she sat in front of her pink vanity mirror. She fluffed up her trademark ponytail, pondering over what kind of scrunchie or band to wear with her outfit.

Eleanor was reading one of her favorite cookbooks while resting in her bed. Jeanette, in stark contract to her other sisters' cheerfulness, was looking dangerously depressed. Her back was turned to them and she was completely silent.

Brittany sighed as she glanced over at her brunette sister. They hadn't talked much in days. She _hated_ how Charlene was driving her family apart. And so easily at that. But, Brittany stuck to her guns and refused to give in. It wasn't her place to tell Jeanette what to do with her life or how to pick her friends. She was stuck with the problem, right?

_But I can't stand seeing Ellie of Jean upset, _Brittany thought, shaking her head. As their big sister, she was always protective over her family. That was a given, right? _I guess it won't hurt to just ask what the problem is._

Walking over, Brittany gently tapped Jeanette's shoulder. Her shoulders tensed at the small contact, making Brittany even more concerned.

"Hey, Jean? You okay?" Brittany asked slowly, not knowing what to expect.

Jeanette slowly turned around and looked up at her, her violet eyes wet with fresh tears. It looked like she had been silently suffering and crying in her corner of the room for the past few hours.

Brittany and Eleanor immediately came to Jeanette's sides, concern and confusion overwhelming them. All thoughts of their past arguments and squabbles disappeared from their minds as they went to comfort the distraught brunette.

"Jean, honey, what's wrong?" Eleanor asked, patting Jeanette's hand. "You can tell us. We're your sisters."

"I... I don't know what to say," Jeanette said hoarsely, shaking her head. "I just don't know what to say."

"Jeanette, you have to tell us. You're a mess because of it!" Eleanor said firmly. Her tone softened as Jeanette sniffled and looked down at her paws again. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried for you. Maybe Brittany and I can help. Did someone try and hurt you?"

"Is Ray bullying you again?" Brittany asked, cracking her knuckles. "I swear, that witch just goes too far sometimes!"

"I can't!" Jeanette snapped unexpectedly. She sobbed and rested her head in her paws as she cried. Eleanor and Brittany looked at each other, bewildered. "I just can't!"

"Jeanette, come on!" Eleanor pressed. "This is obviously something serious!"

"Simon, he..." Jeanette choked.

"Simon? I know he didn't do anything bad to you, did he?" Brittany said, shocked. While she wasn't exactly close to Simon, she had known him long enough that he would never hurt her sister. "What happened?"

"No, b-but..." Jeanette sat up, taking in a deep, shaky breath. Her eyes then filled with anger. "He's in love with somebody else."

Brittany and Eleanor stared up at her, completely dumbfounded. What? Simon? In love with somebody else? That was utter nonsense! As far as they could see, he and Jeanette were practically soul mates. All of their interactions were obvious tell-tale signs of how much they cared for each other. And it seemed like their relationship had only deepened over the last few months! How could it all go wrong? And, more importantly, just who was he putting over Jeanette...?

"W-Who is it?" Eleanor asked hesitantly. She curled her lip in disgust, shaking her head and making her golden pigtails wave about. "It couldn't possibly be one of us."

"Exactly. No freakin' way," Brittany said, nearly gagging at the thought. "Ellie's right. I know it's not one of us. So..."

Brittany froze. She turned back to Jeanette and looked straight into her eyes.

"It's Charlene, isn't it?" Brittany asked.

"Yes," Jeanette said, bursting into tears again. Eleanor's eyes widened in realization. That witch had actually convinced Jeanette that Simon had fallen for her instead. But why?

"Who told you that?" Eleanor asked. "You don't honestly believe that, do you?"

"Why would Charlene lie to me?" Jeanette snapped, wiping her tears on her denim jacket sleeve. "She's my friend, but she wanted to tell me that Simon looked at her all the time and even asked her out. She's not interested in him, but she didn't want to see me get hurt..."

"And you're hurt now anyway!" Brittany said, folding her arms. "She's lying, Jeanette. Did you talk to Simon about this?"

"He denied it, but I've seen things with my own eyes," Jeanette said bitterly. "I can't believe he'd do that to me..."

"That's because he didn't," Eleanor said, giving Brittany a pointed look. "I really doubt Simone did anything like that, Jeanette."

"Exactly," Brittany said. "Someone's lying, and I don't think it's him."

XOXOXOXOXO

The following day, Brittany and Eleanor went on the look out for Charlene. They were going to settle whatever she was doing, once and for all. Brittany had a feeling that she was going to get her hands dirty, but she didn't want to back out now. It was a long time coming for Charlene.

They always knew she was up to something. Brittany, especially, had known since the day she had the misfortune of meeting her. But why did she have to destroy Jeanette's confidence? The poor girl hardly had any self esteem to begin with. Although Brittany didn't want to admit it, Jeanette had been more confident and brave when Charlene befriended her. And Jeanette was constantly defending her. Always on Charlene's side. Why Jeanette?

_I'm going to kill her, _Brittany vowed. _This crap has gone on far enough._

Eleanor gripped Brittany's skirt, effectively stopping her. Brittany looked down at her curiously. Eleanor pointed towards the girls' restroom, where they heard a familiar voice. Brittany nodded and the two sisters pushed their way into the restroom.

As expected, they found Charlene sitting on the edge of a sink and looking herself over in one of the mirrors. She was primping and applying ample amounts of vanilla perfume to her sun-kissed fur.

"Oh! Hello, Ellie! Hi, Brittany," Charlene said brightly to Eleanor, while giving Brittany a smirk. Eleanor placed her paws on her hips while Brittany crossed her arms. "Ready for another day of school? I know I am!"

"Cut the crap," Brittany snapped. "Why did you lie to Jeanette like that? You know damn well that he's really into Jeanette. I haven't even seen you two talk much at all since you showed up. What are you trying to do?" she demanded.

"I know," Charlene smirked. "It's obvious that _nerd_ is in love with his _nerdette_."

Brittany and Eleanor stared back at her, disgusted. Charlene simply shrugged and started to apply some lip gloss.

"It's not really a lie, you know. Simon always did have a thing for me, poor thing," Charlene said carelessly. She feigned innocence, sighing dramatically. "My life is just so hard sometimes. Real complicated. All the boys want me. It's a shame, though, because the only one I want is Alvin," she said with a smirk. Brittany clutched her hands into fists. They were just itching to make contact with her face. "I'll have him either way. But I'm flattered to know that I could have all three of them, if I _really_ wanted to."

Eleanor gasped in horror. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah," Charlene said, smirking down at the green-clad Chipette. "But Theo's a bit too fat for me. And Simon's a total nerd. But Alvin? Oh, he's the total package."

Brittany snapped. Faster than either Eleanor or Charlene could react, Brittany launched herself at Charlene and slammed her into the back of the sink. Charlene's head collided painfully into the porcelain with a sickening thud, but Brittany couldn't bring herself to care in the slightest. She was out for blood.

"B-Brittany, wait!" Eleanor screamed. Though, Brittany noticed, Eleanor wasn't really trying to stop her from pummeling Charlene into the bathroom floor. "Wait!"

Brittany tuned her little sister out as she landed punch after punch into Charlene's face. Just as she thought, the girl was all bark and no bite. It was a long time coming, and it felt good to hear her scream in pain.

_Mess with me? That's one thing. Mess with my sisters, Alvin, or his brothers? You're just asking for it._

All too soon for her liking, Brittany found herself lifted off of a coughing Charlene. She looked around and was surprised at Eleanor's strength and she dragged her away.

"Brittany, stop! She deserves it, I know, but you're seriously going to hurt her," Eleanor pleaded. Brittany panted and straightened her pink jacket.

"You're right," Brittany said reluctantly. "You're right, Ellie."

She looked over at Charlene. She was a complete mess, much to her satisfaction. Her face and hand was bleeding, multiple bruises and cuts on her usually flawless face. The back of her head was dripping small amounts of blood from the initial tackle. Her clothes were a mess around her, and it took all she had to slowly pull herself to her feet. She glared at Brittany, hate clear in her blue eyes.

"You crazy bitch!" Charlene screamed. "How dare you!"

"I wouldn't keep running that mouth of yours," Brittany said in warning. "One beat-down is enough."

Without another word, Charlene stumbled out of the bathroom. Left alone, Eleanor turned back to Brittany with eyes wide with worry.

"That was... awesome!" Eleanor laughed. Brittany laughed with her and hugged her.

"I did extra for you," Brittany half-joked.

"Thanks," Eleanor said, slowly pulling away from her. "But, Britt, you're going to be in so much trouble. And it's not fair, because she deserved every bit of that..."

"I know," Brittany sighed, gulping. "I'll just have to take what comes my way..."

XOXOXOXOXO

Just as Eleanor predicted, Brittany was soon called to the principal's office.

While Brittany didn't regret punching Charlene's lights out, she was nervous. Sure, she was no angel. But she just wasn't used to being in trouble! That was Alvin's thing!

Brittany pushed open the door to Dr. Ruves' office. There, she spotted a bandaged up Charlene. As expected, she was milking the situation for all it was worth. While she really was hurt pretty badly, she made sure to request a lot more bandages than what was necessary. Charlene also made sure to look as injured as she could, occasionally moaning and shivering in pain.

She caught Brittany looking at her and gave he a dark smile_._

"Sit down, Brittany," Dr. Ruves said, disappointment in her voice. Brittany sighed and sat on the other side of her desk, far away from Charlene. "I am very disappointed in you, Ms. Seville. I never knew you could act out so violently."

Brittany looked down at her paws. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? There was nothing that would, in a principal's eyes, justify her actions. So what was the use?

"Punishment is obviously in order," Dr. Ruves continued, adjusting her thin-rimmed glasses. "I've decided that you will give up your place on the cheer leading squad."

"What? Why?" Brittany yelled, horrified. Her heart fell. She had worked so hard for that! It was her dream! "Dr. Ruves, can't I please just have detention or something? I worked so hard to make it on that squad!"

"I'm sorry, Brittany, but no. You have to learn that you can't just do something horrible to another student and have it your way in the end," Dr. Ruves said sternly, organizing some of her paperwork. "Next time, you'll think twice about doing this, won't you?"

"But –!"

"End of discussion," Dr. Ruves said, cutting her eyes at her. "Dismissed."

As they walked out, it was all Brittany could do to hold back tears. She was no crybaby, but it just seemed so unfair. She had put in so much time and effort into making it on the cheer leading squad. And now, Charlene had somehow gotten her way again. She was kicked off, just like she wanted.

Charlene sneered at her, obviously happy. "Oh, Brittany. When are you going to learn? I have you all under my thumb."

"You'll get what's coming to you," Brittany said. It wasn't a threat, it was a promise. "You just wait."

But, deep inside, Brittany felt that it was useless. Charlene won, and she wondered if that would ever change.


	18. Chapter 18

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 18**

**Plans Gone Awry**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

ALVIN

Alvin just couldn't understand where, or when, everything went wrong.

What the hell was happening with his friends and family? What was the cause? He just didn't have an answer.

Alvin looked over at Jeanette. He wasn't the best of friends with her, but he wasn't used to seeing her so... depressed. Dangerously depressed. He knew she wouldn't try anything, but even he was worried for her health. She wouldn't say a word to anyone in days. Not even Simon, and they seemed to be getting along so well lately.

Speaking of Simon, his brother looked at a loss of what to do with himself. He was always trying to engage Jeanette in conversation. One time, Alvin overheard him begging with Jeanette to hear him out. About what, he had no idea. But each time, Jeanette would tell him that he was a liar and that she should have never trusted him. Eventually, Simon gave up. But it killed him inside to see his counterpart so broken.

But Alvin had more than enough of his own problems. Brittany and Charlene had gotten into a horrible, physical fight about a week ago. Charlene had gotten the worst of it, while Brittany only left with a few scratches. He couldn't believe it when he first found out! His head hurt at the very conversation he had when Brittany explained the situation.

Apparently, Charlene had lied to Jeanette. How, some might ask? By claiming that Simon was in love with her instead! This was utterly ridiculous. While Alvin never made it a habit of nosing into his siblings' business, he was absolutely certain that Simon didn't have any feelings for Charlene. Heck, even when they lived in the forest, he never spent much time talking to her. So, why would Charlene say such things...?

As for Charlene, she was fairing better than they were. When Alvin went to confront her, she adamantly denied all accusations. Everyone was a liar but her, according to her. From what she told him, Simon was always hitting on her when no one was around. Jeanette was just being paranoid. Brittany, well, she insisted Brittany had it out for her.

Alvin didn't believe her. No matter how much he tried to put trust in her, he didn't believe a word she said. As time went on, it was becoming clearer and clearer that Brittany was right. Everything she said made sense.

_She's changed, and you know it,_ Alvin told himself. As much as he didn't want to believe it, he had to accept it. _That's not the Charlene you know anymore._

He adjusted his red tie in front of the mirror. He had promised her a concert, just the two of them. Today was that day. But he knew what else he had to do. Charlene was tearing apart his family and putting his friends through turmoil. While none of them wanted him to go with her, he refused to just ignore her. He had to be a man and end things right.

"This will be our last concert," Alvin said as he looked down at his paws. It would be the last time he would be with her. He had tried, time and time again, to show to himself and everyone else that Charlene was good. A good girl. But, in the end, it was him who was in denial.

_It's time to let go of the past._

XOXOXOXOXO

"_You can't catch me!" Charlene giggled as she scurried through the colorful leaves littering the forest floor. "You're just too slow, Alvie!"_

"_I am not!" Alvin panted, trying to catch up with the little blonde chipmunk darting just out of his reach. "I'll catch you!"_

"_In your dreams!" Charlene laughed, jumping just out of his reach and climbing up the side of a big log. She stuck her tongue out at him from high above. "Can't come up here, can you?"_

"_I can so!" Alvin snapped, trying his best to scurry up the side of the fallen tree. However, he was a bit too weak from chasing her around the past few minutes and fell back on his bottom. Charlene just laughed loudly at this, infuriating the young male chipmunk. "You make me sick!"_

_Charlene gasped. Alvin turned around and folded his arms, stomping towards his tree. He had enough with playing with her for today._

"_Alvin, you're such a baby!" Charlene snapped, walking up to him. "You always take these games too seriously! It's just tag!"_

"_Well, you cheat too much," Alvin argued. "You know I'm not that good at climbing when I'm tired."_

"_Baby," Charlene said, rolling her eyes. "And then to be so mean to me! I thought you were my friend."_

"_I-I am your friend!" Alvin said, blushing. "You just make me mad sometimes, that's all."_

"_Are you saying that you'll stop being my friend if I make you really mad one day?" Charlene asked softly._

_Alvin glanced over at the shorter chipmunk. Her eyes were downcast and saddened. He never did like to see her upset._

"_No," Alvin said, wrapping an arm around his long-time friend. Charlene looked up at him and smiled brightly. "Even if you make me really mad, I'll always be your friend."_

"_Pinky promise?" Charlene smiled, holding out her little pinky._

"_Pinky promise," Alvin laughed, curling his own around hers. "Always!"_

_XOXOXOXOXO_

Alvin sighed deeply, closing his eyes. _Dammit. Why did that have to come up now?_

Things were much less complicated back then. Sometimes, he wished he could go back to the days when things were simple and one didn't have to think so much about the world around them.

Brittany walked in. Alvin looked at her through the mirror. She was angry, he knew it. But he didn't blame her. If the tables were turned, he would have never let her hear the end of it. After all Charlene had done to them, he figured he _was _crazy to go along with this. But this was the last time he would see her. This was closure for the both of them.

"Hey, Britt," Alvin said, walking over with a smile. Brittany scowled at him and looked away. Alvin sighed, tired. "Brittany, please don't look at me like that. I just want closure. You can understand that, right?"

"That bitch doesn't deserve to come anywhere near you after what she did!" Brittany yelled angrily. She huffed, looking at him with desperate eyes. "No, I don't understand. Why are you doing this, Alvin? This is exactly what she wants. Even after all she's done, she's still having things go her way. I can't stand it."

"I... I just need to end this once and for all. I can't just ignore her, because that's not going to settle anything. I need to end this the right way," Alvin explained. Brittany wasn't satisfied with his answer, because she just folded her arms and glared at him. He moved closer, moving to kiss her cheek. She dodged it and shook her head. Alvin watched sadly as she walked out of the room. "Oh, Britt..."

Sighing deeply, he grabbed his trademark guitar and walked through the front door. Waiting for him were Ian and Charlene in Ian's black jeep. Dave was standing outside, looking uncomfortable.

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" Dave asked. "I'd feel better if I went along. I don't feel right letting you go with Ian."

"It's cool, Dad," Alvin smiled. He began to descend the stone steps as he made his way to the car. "I'll be fine. I'm old enough to handle myself, after all."

"Hey, it's the A-man!" Ian said, grinning widely as he rolled down his window. "How's it going?"

"Good," Alvin said flatly, cutting his eyes at him. "We ready for this?"

"You bet," Ian said, unlocking the door and opening in. He watched intently as Alvin hopped in and settled down next to Charlene. "It's going to be a big night!"

Alvin ignored him and looked at Charlene. As usual, she was dazzling. It was weird, because she seemed to be hurting bad from the fight. He wondered, briefly, if all that was an act too. She smiled at him as she sat in her sparkly, ruby-red dress. Her smile was beautiful. But it had no effect on him any longer. In his eyes, the smile was disturbing, fake, disgusting.

"You ready, Alvie?" Charlene smiled.

"You bet," Alvin said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Can't wait."

The car jolted slightly as Ian pulled out of Dave's driveway. Alvin looked out the window, waving to Dave. Dave waved back, still looking uncomfortable. It looked like he wanted to stop the car, but he resisted. To his surprise, Brittany was standing next to him, watching as the jet-black vehicle disappeared into the night.

_I'll definitely have to talk to Britt when I get back,_ Alvin thought with a worried expression. _After I say goodbye, things will definitely go back to normal. Right?_

"You know, Alvin," Charlene said, moving closer to him. Alvin started slightly, looking over at her questioningly. "I am _so _glad you finally left Brittany. It took you long enough!"

Alvin looked at her as if she had completely lost her mind.

"I am _not_ leaving Brittany,"he said firmly. Charlene looked at him strangely in response. He turned to face her, trying to be as clear as possible. "I don't know what you thought this was, but this is just a concert. Nothing more."

"What the hell is wrong with you? That bitch tried to kill me!" Charlene snapped. "You're just going to take her side over mine!"

"She beat your ass only after you started making trouble!" Alvin yelled back. He had completely lost his patience with the conniving girl in front of him. She wasn't the same anymore. "What happened to you, Charlene? This isn't you," he said softly. The memory of the funny, sweet girl from his childhood resurfaced. "What happened? What changed you?"

Charlene looked away, silent. For a moment, she looked almost... remorseful. Alvin looked at her hopefully. While a part of him was mad at her, another part of him wanted his old friend back.

"Charlene, please stop all of this stupid drama you're causing," Alvin pleaded, taking her hand. "This isn't you. I know it isn't."

"You. You changed me."

"What?" Alvin asked, baffled. "Me?"

"You, Alvin! You did this to me!" Charlene said, turning to him with dark, deranged eyes. He immediately snatched his hand back and backed away from her. Something was definitely wrong with her. Deadly wrong. "I will have you, Alvin. I didn't come all this way for you to just push me away," she said angrily. She then smiled over at her manager. "Right, Ian?"

Alvin's head snapped around to look at Ian. Ian took his eyes off the road to look back at him, a satisfied smile on his face.

"That's right, Charlene," Ian said. He winked at Alvin. "It feels good to be your manager again, Alvin," he laughed loudly. "Can't believe that idiot let you come along. You all should know me better than this by now."

Alvin looked on in horror, his heart racing. "What the hell is going on here?"

"You'll have no choice but to be with me, Alvin," Charlene said, leaning into him as he pressed himself against the car door. She gently stroked his cheek with her paw. This only served to terrify him even more. "You'll learn to love me."

_I cant believe this, _Alvin thought, seconds before his mind went blank. _She's actually trying to kidnap me!_

In an instant, Alvin jumped out of the reach of Ian when he tried to make a grab for him. He scurried along his arm and tried to climb out of the open window. Unfortunately, Ian rolled up the windows, making Alvin collide painfully with the glass. He crumbled onto the leather seats, groaning as he clutched his forehead.

"Alvin, calm down!" Charlene pleaded. "Just listen to me!"

"No! Let me out of here!" Alvin yelled.

"No can do," Ian smirked.

Alvin growled and launched himself at Ian's face, clawing and biting at him. Ian screamed in pain, temporarily losing control of the wheel and the car. The car crashed through the guard railing of the street, tumbling down the hill. The occupants screamed in alarm as the car rolled over a few times. Alvin tried desperately to get out of the tumbling car.

_I have to get out of here, _Alvin thought frantically. _They're crazy, absolutely crazy._

Inches away from the window button, a splitting pain on the top of his head sent him into a world of blackness...

XOXOXOXOXO

Alvin groaned softly. He tried to open his eyes, but they were too heavy. His breathing was labored and his ribs felt like they were on fire. He couldn't see or hear anything.

_Where is Charlene? Ian? _Alvin thought. He felt himself quickly slipping away. _Brittany..._

Then everything went black.


	19. Chapter 19

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 19**

**Inseparable**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

BRITTANY

_That stupid, inconsiderate, gullible, back-stabbing, worthless... oh, he makes me so mad sometimes! _Brittany thought furiously. _Oh, man, is he gonna get it when he comes home!_

She sighed as she sat beside Eleanor on the living room couch. Eleanor and Theodore were snacking on popcorn as they flipped through the movie channels. Oh, how she envied them. Out of all of them, Theodore and Eleanor were the least affected by Charlene's treachery.

_Just... how can he trust her after all she's done to us? All of us? _Brittany thought sadly. _Why does he still have hope for her? She's obviously a lost cause. That idiot._

Eleanor looked at her eldest sister sympathetically. She leaned over and gently patted her knee reassuringly. Brittany looked over at her with tired eyes.

"Don't worry, Britt! Alvin will be back soon," Eleanor said cheerfully. "Don't think about it too much, okay?"

"Yeah, Ellie's right. I'm sure Alvin has his reasons," Theodore said, nodding. "Alvin just wants to make things right."

"You two are right," Brittany said, smiling weakly. She still didn't understand Alvin's reasoning, but what was the point in getting upset over it? He was already gone, so all she could do was wait until he came back home. "I guess I understand where he's coming from..."

Dave walked in and flopped down beside the trio, making them bounce slightly from the shift in weight. He asked for the remote from Theodore and turned it to the news.

"Aw, I hate the news," Theodore said, rolling his dark green eyes. "Nothing ever happy is reported."

"True," Dave chuckled. "But it's always good to stay updated."

The screen flashed with an emergency update. They all leaned in intently, taking in the many police cars and flashing lights gathered around a destroyed section of a guard rail.

"Oh, wow," Eleanor gasped. "Who got in such a terrible accident?"

"Don't know," Dave replied. He leaned in closer. "Whatever happened, it happened on Highway 45. That's not far from here."

"- and now the police are trying to find survivors of the accident," the female reporter said. The cameras panned over to a very familiar, black Jeep...

"T-That's Ian's car!" Brittany screamed.

They all looked at each other with terrified eyes. _Alvin!_

"Oh my god," Dave said, numbly getting up and grabbing his coat. Eleanor, Theodore and Brittany wordlessly followed him. "Call Simon and Jeanette down. I don't know what's going on, but we have to find Alvin."

Everything was a blur after that. Brittany barely paid attention as Eleanor called down Simon and Jeanette. Then, without a word, the gang packed into Dave's car and sped off in search of her counterpart. She sat between Jeanette and Eleanor, her mind and body numb with fear, concern, worry, confusion and guilt.

_What is going on? Please, God, let Alvin be okay, _Brittany thought desperately. Her breathing became labored as dreadful images of his mangled, motionless body flashed through her mind. It was all she could do from breaking down in hysterical tears. But she had to be strong. She had to be strong if Alvin needed her. He did need her. _Please, let him make it out of there somehow. Oh god... what if he's hurt? Or.. or.._

Brittany closed her eyes and shook her head, hugging her shoulders as she rocked back and forth. There was no time to think about what ifs. She just wanted to be there for Alvin, to bring him home safe and sound. _I should have never gotten angry at him. I just want to find him, please..._

"Shit!" Dave cursed. The six chipmunks craned their necks to see what the problem was. To their horror, there was traffic backed far away from the scene of the accident. However, there were also plenty of nosy, inconsiderate people trying to get a look at the wreckage, not to mention various reporters. It made Brittany's blood boil to see so many people eager to see bloodshed. "I can't get past all of this!"

She couldn't take it anymore. Wiggling out of her seat belt, Brittany unlocked the door and hopped out of the car and into the dark, night air. She immediately went down the hill, bent on finding Alvin.

"Brittany, get back here! It's dangerous!" Dave yelled. But it was too late; Brittany was already making distance between them as she ran as fast as she could on all fours through the tall grass.

_Please, let me get there in time, _Brittany prayed. _Let me find Alvin._

The low-hanging branches of the bushes scraped against her skin and clothes. Her skirt ripped at the side, but she ignored it. She slid to a halt as she struggled to catch her breath. She looked around wildly for any sign of Ian's car, and more importantly, Alvin.

"Alvin!" Brittany called out desperately. "Alvin, are you out there! I'm here, just say something!"

"Help! Is someone out there?" a voice called from her right.

Brittany spun around, her heart pounding with hope. Her hopeful expression then turned to one of utter hatred as she took in the chipmunk a few feet away. "What..?"

There stood Charlene. She was bleeding from a shallow scratch on the side of her face and her clothes were ruffled and muddied, but she looks otherwise okay. Resting on her shoulder was a bleeding, motionless Alvin. Brittany gasped in horror and immediately ran over to help Charlene carry him by placing his free arm over her shoulders. She glared over at Charlene, who was constantly avoiding eye contact.

"What happened?" Brittany demanded. Charlene looked at her with pleading eyes, but Brittany wasn't having it. Alvin needed help, but she had to know how he got in this state. Why Alvin was hurt so badly. And she knew it was her fault. "Don't give me that. Just tell me what happened, do you hear me?"

"I-It's all my fault," Charlene sobbed, genuine tears streaming down her dirt-stained cheeks. "B-B-Because of me, Alvin might die!"

"SHUT UP!" Brittany snapped. Charlene looked at her with eyes full of fear. Brittany bit her lip and shook her head. "Just don't say that. We have to get him help _now,_" Brittany said, looking tearfully at her unconscious boyfriend. She then cut her blue eyes at her. Despite how much she loathed her, she needed her help. "I need your help, Charlene. So don't sit there crying.."

"Of course I will," Charlene said, anger in her voice. "Let's get moving."

The two girls began to make their way towards the main street. Who knew how much time they had left? After about five minutes of dragging, a stick snapping behind them caught they're attention.

"What was that? Is it Ian?" Brittany said, annoyance in her voice. "Good, then he can make himself useful, for once, and help us!"

"N-Not Ian," Charlene said numbly.

Brittany spun around and gasped. Closing in around them were five, large growling dogs. Their eerie, glowing eyes stared back at the three chipmunks hungrily. The largest, which they assumed was the leader, licked his drooling lips.

"Why here? Why now...?" Charlene said, dropping to her knees weekly. Brittany spun around to look at her. "I can't –"

"RUN!" Brittany screamed. "Come on!"

Without waiting for an answer, Brittany used all of her strength to pull Alvin along. Thankfully, Charlene didn't argue any further and focused all of her efforts on escaping from the fast-approaching pack of wild dogs. The two girls ran into the bushes, hoping to lose the predators galloping after them. But Brittany could clearly hear their panting and growls as they gave chase. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they were on top of them...

_Keep looking forward,_ Brittany told herself, her heart pounding wildly. _I have to make it!_

"They're coming, Brittany!" Charlene screamed, looking behind her with eyes filled with horror. "We're not going to make it!"

Brittany clenched her teeth, ignoring the frantic girl across from her. They had to make. They just had to!

Brittany squeaked in pain as she tripped over a sharp-edged stone. She tumbled down to the ground painfully, Alvin falling down beside her. She looked around in a panic: they were now on the main road, not too far from the traffic jam! If she could just get a little closer, maybe the dogs would leave them alone with all the people crowded around!

Charlene looked back at her as she stopped a few inches ahead. She started to run back to help them up but froze when she spotted one of the dogs from before bark at her. Her eyes grew wide and she began to cower away. Brittany gasped and looked at Charlene pleadingly.

"Charlene, please help me. I scratched my paw and I can't save Alvin on my own," Brittany pleaded, desperate. She was willing to put all of the drama behind them if Charlene would just help her get Alvin to safety. Everything they went through, Brittany would forget and forgive in a heartbeat if only Charlene would help her save Alvin's life. "Please!"

Charlene's blue eyes darted from Brittany, to the wolves, and then back again. Her breathing was quick and frantic, and her little body was shaking violently from unbridled fear. Finally, she looked down at Alvin. Alvin, who she had done so much for in order to see again. He needed both of them more than ever.

"I..." Charlene whispered. Her eyes filled with tears as she turned away from Alvin and Brittany. "I can't!"

With that, she was gone.

Horrified, Brittany immediately tried to pull herself and Alvin to their feet. Her foot surged with pain from the deep gash from the rock, making her scream in pain and fall forward. She glanced back at the wolves, who were only feet away. It seemed the only reason they hadn't ripped them to shreds by now was because they were quarreling over who would make and claim the kill. Either way, Brittany knew she couldn't make it.

Numbly, Brittany pulled Alvin close to her and cried. She cried into his hair in despair and fear. Not only had she let herself down, but she wasn't able to save him in the end.

_Why did everything end up like this...?_

"R...un..."

Brittany gasped and looked down. Alvin peered back at her through one, tired eye. He looked so tired, so faint. But he was alive! Brittany's heart pounded in relief and happiness, despite the danger around them. It wouldn't be long before they were both dead, but she was happy to see that he was alive, if only for the moment.

"Alvin! Oh, Alvin, you're okay!" she sobbed. "I'm sorry, I –"

"Leave me," Alvin rasped, coughing up a small amount of blood. Brittany gasped, trying to sit up in a better position. But it looked like there was no way to ease his pain. "Charlene had... the right idea..."

Brittany shook her head through her tears. "I'm not leaving you! I'll never leave you, do you hear me?"

"You're crazy...!" Alvin coughed, glaring at her. "You'll be killed."

"No, Alvin," Brittany said adamantly, swiping at her eyes. "I love you. I'm not leaving you, no matter what."

Alvin's golden eyes widened in shock. But Brittany meant every word. She regretted waiting too late, when they were faced with certain death. Yet, she had to let him know that she would be there for him. Was she scared? Of course. Every instinct in her little furry body was screaming for her to run. To survive. But she resisted. What life could she have without Alvin, the boy who had made life meaningful? How would she ever live with herself to know she was leaving him to his death How could she face his brothers, Dave, or her own sisters when she told them she had left him to die? There was no way she was leaving him. Brittany was hopelessly attached to Alvin Seville, but she didn't regret a thing.

"I love you, Alvin," Brittany said softly, gently kissing his forehead. "I love you. Don't ever forget that."

He was already gone. Brittany closed her eyes and hugged his motionless, warm body to her own as the dogs pounced at them. She closed her eyes shut as blinding pain clouded her mind and body, accompanied with a flash of blinding light.


	20. Chapter 20

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 20**

**By Your Side**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

ALVIN

_Is this what it feels like to die? Quite peaceful. A little boring, sure, but peaceful._

He couldn't hear anything. He could feel anything. He was in complete nothingness. He wondered, briefly, if this was heaven. Or was this hell? Or maybe he was nowhere, or on his way to one of those destinations. He wasn't too sure.

What he did pray for, if God would give him that, was that Brittany was safe. If that was granted, he could rest in peace. He would be content.

For Alvin, it was too late. Dave, his brothers, the Chipettes... _Brittany._

All of them would be left behind to mourn his death. If only he had had more time to tell each and every one of them how blessed he felt to have them all in his life. Alvin regretted never letting them know how glad he was that they dealt with him each and every day, no matter how wrong or ill-behaved he was. He was going to miss having his Dad around, even if it was to only reprimand him and yell his signature "ALVIN!" He was going to miss his butterball of a brother, Theodore. He would grow up without Alvin being proud of what a good guy he'd grow up to be. Heck, he was even going to miss his uptight brother, Simon. His family would go eventually move on, he was sure of it.

He was going to miss Jeanette and Eleanor. They weren't the closest of friends, but it was impossible for Alvin to deny how much he valued their friendship. Eleanor's bubbly behavior, and Jeanette's sweet demeanor. They were like the little sisters he had never had.

But, most of all, he was going to miss Brittany. It pained him to know he wouldn't spend another waking moment with her. He wouldn't marry her, have kids, and grow old and frail with her by his side. No longer would he see her beautiful smile and hold her close to him. They wouldn't even have their regular competitions and bickering. Alvin longed to tell her how much she meant to him, how she made his heart skip beats just by looking at him with those gorgeous blue eyes.

And, despite her betrayal, he was going to miss Charlene. Call him crazy, but he was going to miss the sweet, funny girl he had grown up with in his childhood. If she was here, he'd let her know that he wasn't angry anymore. She needed help, but a part of him still wanted to reach out to her. Maybe he could help her. He saw a glimpse of who she really was, and he wanted to help her get back to that.

"Alvin... Alvin..."

Who was calling him? Was it God? Was it time for him to move on? He didn't know what to expect, but the voice sounded so warm, so inviting... so familiar.

"D-Dave...?" Alvin said hoarsely, his throat burning with the effort to talk.

"Alvin..."

Alvin felt wet tears drip onto his face. He gasped sharply, the tears feeling totally foreign on his numb, aching body.

"It's me, Alvin," Dave said, choking up. "It's me."

Using all of his remaining strength, Alvin forced himself to slowly open his eyes. His head throbbed as bright light flooded his vision. He grunted and blinked several times to get used to the surrounding area. He looked around quickly. He was in the hospital. The nauseating smell of various medications filled his senses, making him gag slightly. He always did hate medical rooms. But, right now, he was more than happy to be in one.

He was alive.

His body ached greatly, and he felt like he was paralyzed from the torso downward. But he was alive, and that was all that mattered.

Everyone was gathered around him. Dave, Theodore, Simon, Jeanette, Eleanor and Brittany were all around him. Their faces were stained with countless shed tears. But now bright smiles were gracing their faces. Relieved, happy smiles.

"Sorry for worrying you all," Alvin said with a weak, trademark smirk. "My bad."

The others laughed at him, shaking their heads. Leave it to Alvin to joke at a serious time like this. But, that's how they knew that he was okay. If he could joke, they knew that he would make it.

His brothers carefully walked across the bed to hug him. Alvin smiled and hugged both of his little brothers. He was never so happy to have his siblings with him in all his life. They weren't only his brothers, but his best friends.

"I'm so happy you're okay, Alvin!" Theodore sobbed into his shoulder, holding Alvin in a death-grip. Simon gently loosened his grip, much to Alvin's relief. He loved his little brother, but he was about to kill him a second time! "S-Sorry. I couldn't handle it if something... something happened to you."

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Theo," Alvin said softly, fondly rubbing the little chipmunk's head. "Thanks. I'm glad to be back."

"We all are," Simon smiled. He eyed the bandaged tightly wrapped around Alvin's ribcage. "Does it hurt a lot? The doctors said you broke a few ribs and a leg, but they're confident you'll make a full recovery."

Alvin winced at the news. It didn't come as too much of a surprise to him, though. He knew he had gotten hurt pretty badly in that accident.

"I believe it," Alvin groaned. "But these drugs certainly are making it easier. I feel like I should be hurting a lot more than I am now."

"At least you're okay," Jeanette said timidly, walking over to stand beside Simon. It had been a while since he had seen them stand next to each other while being at ease. He wondered if they had made up. "Alvin... what happened last night? We all have to know."

Alvin gulped. Everyone's eyes were on him. He knew he would have to recall the events leading up to the crash and his injuries. But, honestly, the events happened so fast. So unreal to him, it seemed. He almost wondered if all of it was a bad dream. Reality seemed so much stranger now.

Inhaling deeply, Alvin recalled the events of the previous night. Charlene's betrayal, Ian's attempted kidnapping, how Alvin tried to fight his way out of the car, then the vehicle swerving off the road and into the ditch. How he blacked out from his injuries, but briefly came to to find Brittany carrying him. Then the dogs staring the two of them down and lurching forward. Then nothing.

It was all Alvin could do to not look away as his family and friends stared at him in a mix of horror and disbelief. They had never thought Ian Hawke would stoop so low. Sure, he was, at most, a persistent pain in the neck. But there was nothing he could do to truly affect them. Obviously, they were wrong. Underestimating him had been a huge mistake.

"I..." Jeanette sobbed suddenly, looking down at her hands in her lap in utter shame. "I can't believe I've been so stupid. I can't believe I ever t-trusted her. I thought she was my friend, but I should have seen that something was totally wrong...!"

Brittany walked over and hugged Jeanette and a stunned Eleanor to her. Jeanette sniffed and looked at her with apologetic, regretful eyes.

"It's not your fault, Jeanette," Brittany said firmly. "No one could have known something so... so awful would happen."

Alvin snapped his head around to stare at Brittany. _Charlene. Where is she?_

Everyone else, save Alvin, looked at Brittany with uncertainty in their eyes. Alvin saw Brittany turn her head away, growing silent. Finally, after what seemed like ages, she gave forth a deep sigh and turned to look at them.

"Can Alvin and I have a moment alone?" she asked. "Please?"

"Of course," Eleanor said kindly, patting Brittany's knee reassuringly. "Come on, guys."

Everyone agreed to leave Alvin and Brittany alone. Alvin looked at her strangely. Brittany seemed fearful to say anything, but this only increased his nervousness, his curiosity. Now that he thought about Charlene, were was Ian?

"I'm sorry," Brittany said softly. "I hate Charlene for everything she's done to us. Nearly driving us apart, making me fight with my own sisters, trying to ruin our lives..." Brittany bit her lip, tears in her eyes. Alvin leaned in, disbelief apparent on his slightly pale face. "Most of all, I hate her for betraying and hurting you, Alvin. I might not like her, but I was always so certain that if there was anything she would do, it was protect you."

Alvin gulped, his throat dry. So, it was true. He had hoped, no matter how unlikely it might be, that all of this was some sort of dream, or misunderstanding. A part of him, deep down, still didn't want to believe that Charlene had become so corrupted, so dangerous. But he knew he had to come to terms with what had happened to him. His wounds were proof of her actions.

"I'm so sorry, Alvin," Brittany said, holding his paws. He looked up at her with pained eyes. Why was she apologizing? "I... I don't know where Charlene is. We all came to look for you when you guys got in that crash. The two of us tried to get you help, but wild dogs came out and attacked us. She ran. I don't know where she is," she finished. Her voice cracked slightly. "I'm sorry."

"I see," Alvin said numbly. He didn't know how he should react. Sad? Regretful? Angered? Relieved? Worried? It felt like it was all of the above. "It's not your fault, Britt. It's just... I'm so..."

"I know," Brittany said quickly, nodding. "I-I understand. I could barely believe it either."

"How did we escape?" Alvin asked. "We were trapped, weren't we?"

"We got lucky. A car came down the road and hit into one of the dogs," Brittany explained, rubbing the back of her head. "Since we're so small, we passed right under the car. The others ran off and I was able to get help from the driver."

"Thank God," Alvin said, a weak smile gracing his features. _We made it out okay. _"I'm glad."

Brittany smiled and came to sit beside him. Alvin blushed slightly, suddenly a little nervous. Why, he didn't really know.

"You really gave me a scare back there," Brittany said, folding her arms and pouting. "Don't you ever do that again!"

"Sorry," Alvin laughed. He winced and touched his bandages, a stinging pain coursing through his chest and middle. "O-Ow..."

"Are you okay?" Brittany said worriedly. "Do you want me to call a nurse?"

"Nah, it only hurts when I laugh," Alvin said, carefully resting back against the soft, white pillow propped up behind him. "I'll be fine, really."

"If you're sure," Brittany said softly, holding his hand. "If you need anything, be sure to tell me."

"Brittany?" Alvin asked in a low tone.

"Yes, Alvin?" Brittany said, turning her head to look at him. Her heart ached at what she saw: Alvin's eyes were wet and tired, looking almost completely devoid of its usual bright playfulness. His general appearance fared no better with his fresh wounds. She desperately wanted to help him. If she could, she would take on some of his pain. "Alvin, what's wrong?"

"I'm so stupid," Alvin said, chuckling softly. How could he have been so dumb all of this time? He prided himself on being able to read others like an open book. To pick up on small signs and know how to avoid stuff like what had happened to him just last night. But he didn't, and it had nearly cost him his life. "I'm so sorry, Brittany."

"There's nothing to apologize for –" Brittany started quickly.

"Yes, there is," Alvin insisted, narrowing his eyes. Brittany reluctantly allowed him to continue. His hand trembled slightly as he continued talking. "I'm sorry for not believing you when you said something was wrong with Charlene. I'm sorry for taking your word over hers' for so long. I'm sorry for... thinking she was the same friend I had growing up. For thinking it was impossible for her to have changed in all the time I've been away," he said. His heart ached at the realization that Charlene was truly gone, as far as he could tell. Not physically, though. She was gone long before that. "I should have never trusted her or Ian that night. It was so stupid of me, how could I think that it was okay? Not only could I have died, but you might have been hurt as well, Britt. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you, all because of my own stupid choices."

Alvin stopped as Brittany tenderly wrapped her arms around him, bringing him into a gentle hug. His heart pounded at how close she was, how warm she felt. She pressed her cheek against his reddened one.

"I don't blame you, Alvin," Brittany said sincerely. She smiled and kissed his cheek. "I understand that she was your friend. It's hard to ignore someone who's been your friend for so long."

Unable to hold back any longer, Alvin allowed himself to cry. He hated being so weak, so vulnerable, but he just had to let it out. Brittany gently rubbed his back as he cried on her shoulder. She let him let out all of his frustration onto her.

"This is so embarrassing," Alvin said, laughing weakly. Brittany shook her head, saying that it wasn't. "It's just... how could she do that to me? For God's sake, we were best friends for years! It's like she just changed into a totally different person. It was like she was completely obsessed. She was.. _Ian_," Alvin choked, looking as if it pained him greatly to compare his former friend to his long-time enemy. "I am so sorry I got us into that mess. I never wanted anything like that to happen."

"Forget about Charlene, Alvin. S-She's not worth it," Brittany said, holding back tears. She just couldn't handle seeing him so hurt. While she despised Charlene, she understood Alvin's pain. To have someone so close to you completely turn on you like that? Who wouldn't come out hurt from that experience? "It's over now. Okay?"

"I know, but..." Alvin sobbed.

"Listen to me, Alvin," Brittany said soothingly, pulling back to gently wipe away some of his tears. Alvin reluctantly looked up at her. "It is not your fault. Even though she did some horrible things, I knew that, deep down, she cared about you. But... but she ran away," she said bitterly. She forced herself to swallow her anger. "I don't know, but... but, maybe Charlene will come back and tell you why she did what she did. Only she knows. But I'm here. I promise you, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, and I'll stick with you no matter what happens."

Alvin smiled at her, wiping his eyes of tears. No matter what, Brittany was there. Even when he accused her of being a liar, or believed everyone else over her, she still had his back. He tried hard to deny his growing feelings for her, but now he honestly wondered why he tried. Who better to fall in love with than the person who was willing to die for you?

Alvin flashed her his trademark grin. Brittany gave him a look. "You know I remember what you said before I blacked out, right?"

Brittany's eyes widened, making Alvin laugh. It was her turn to snicker when he froze in pain. "Oh, you did, did you?"

"That's right," Alvin said, readjusting against his pillow. "So, you've fallen in love with me, huh? Psh, I knew it."

"Shut up!" Brittany giggled. She then smiled, a light blush tinting her cream-colored cheeks. "S-So... um... what do you say to that?"

Alvin smirked and leaned in, taking Brittany by surprise as he gently pressed his lips against hers. Brittany soon closed her eyes and leaned in eagerly, lovingly returning his kiss. They stayed that way for a few seconds before parting, panting slightly. They both looked at each other and blushed.

"So, does that what I think it means?" Brittany teased.

"Duh!" Alvin laughed, rolling his eyes. "You know what I mean!"

"I want to hear you say it," she said, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes. "Please?"

"Fine, fine," Alvin said, pretending it was a big favor to ask from him. Brittany playfully nudged his arm. "I love you, Brittany. I'm just so glad I got a chance to tell you that," he said, kissing the top of her paw. He grinned as she blushed, giggling girlishly. Brittany was like no other, but he loved making her smile like this. "I never want you to leave my side."

"Now _that's _a love confession," Brittany said, smiling brightly. Alvin laughed heartily. It felt so good to laugh and really mean it.

"Not as good as yours, though," Alvin said, carefully putting an arm around Brittany's shoulder. "I don't think I can ever beat that."

"You can try," Brittany said softly. "As much as you want."

"Sounds great to me," Alvin smiled. He frowned slightly. His heart was still in turmoil. He hated feeling so vulnerable and … _weak_. It wasn't him. But he couldn't lie to himself. He needed Brittany by his side. She was the only one who could make him smile at times like this, to make him feel like things would truly work out okay. "Brittany, don't leave me."

"I won't," Brittany said, kissing the top of his hand. "I'm not going anywhere."


	21. Chapter 21

**Old Flame**

**Chapter 21**

**Epilogue**

**XOXOXOXOXO**

Two months later, and Alvin was still stuck, _bored_, in the hospital. He thought he was going to go crazy from having absolutely nothing to do except stare at the boring programs on the small television and doing homework to catch up while he was out of school.

It wasn't so bad, he figured. His family and friends visited him nearly every day. Ryan and Trent had made time to see him as soon as they heard the news. It made Alvin happy that his friends, no matter how frustrating they may be, truly did care for him. Stephanie and Kayla, who he had known were close friends with Brittany, came to visit him and dropped off well-wishes and get-well gifts. To his surprise, Ray came with a bouquet of flowers. She said that she was very sorry for what happened to him, and was even more shocked that she didn't see anything dangerous in Charlene. He held no grudges. How could he fault her when he himself was fooled?

However, Brittany was the one who made sure to visit him every single day. Alvin thought that she was spoiling him, what with her bringing in plenty of flowers and treats to cheer him up. But Alvin didn't stop her. He always did love to getting spoiled and pampered!

"Knock knock," came a familiar voice from the doorway. He smiled brightly as he saw Brittany walk in with a small basket of goodies. "Hey, Alvin! Feeling better today?"

"I am," Alvin said, leaning up so she could give him a kiss. She teased him by kissing him on the forehead instead, making him give her a look. "Hey! Don't I get more than that?"

"We can't go around making out every time I see you!" Brittany laughed, carefully setting the basket in front of him. Alvin grumbled under his breath. _What's so bad about that? _"So, are you feeling good today? The doctors said that you should be able to get out of here by next week!"

"Next week?" Alvin said, rolling his eyes. "I want to get out of here now! It's dead boring in here!"

Brittany smiled and tilted Alvin's chin up slightly, touching noses with him. "Soon, babe."

"Not soon enough!" Alvin laughed. "You know how impatient I can get."

"Don't I know it," Brittany said, rolling her eyes. She unwrapped the chocolate candy bar and handed it to him. "I got you the ones with walnuts in it! Just as you asked," she said smugly.

"Thanks!" Alvin said, brightening up at the sight and scent of the chocolate candy. He took a big bite, savoring the milky flavor. "Mm, this is delicious. I wish they'd serve this instead."

Alvin and Brittany laughed as he snacked on the treats she brought for him. Brittany's smile slowly faded as her thoughts began to wander.

There was still no sign of Charlene. Ian, however, was found injured inside his car. He was now spending time in jail for attempted kidnapping. He wouldn't be in their lives for a very long time. But she wasn't worried about him. Where was Charlene? Was she hurt, or worse? Brittany, even if she despised her, didn't wish that kind of fate on anyone. Deep down, Brittany felt Charlene's good intentions had become corrupted, somehow. That didn't stop Brittany from never wanting to see her again. She prayed that she would never set foot back in any of their lives again. Lives were nearly lost all because of her selfish desires. Brittany wouldn't allow her to hurt any more of her loved ones. Not anymore.

She glanced over at Alvin as he began to dig into his second candy bar. Did Alvin wonder the same? She was sure he did. But it didn't seem to bother him much. Or, maybe, he was really good at hiding it. Alvin was always the type to keep his suffering hidden.

"You okay?" Brittany asked. Alvin looked at her. He knew what she meant. "You want to talk about it?"

Alvin smiled. Truth was, he did wonder. Even if he didn't want to have anything to do with Charlene, a part of him wondered where she was or what she was doing. How was she? Was she safe and sound somewhere? And if so, why hadn't she come to see him? Did she even know he was alive after she ran off? Or did she know, and just didn't know what to say to him? He had a funny feeling that she was okay, somewhere. That was all he wished for her. He resigned himself to never see her again. After all she had done to him and his family, he refused to ever let her get close to him again. Who knew what she was capable of?

"I'm fine," Alvin said confidently. "All that's in the past now. She's in the past. I wish her the best, but I've got my own life to live. She's got no part of that now."

Brittany smiled, nodding. "I'm glad."

A lot had happened in just two months. Alvin realized, with a smile, that not only was he blessed, but his family was quickly moving forward with their lives. He was happy to know that what happened to them hadn't caused any permanent damage. To his relief, Brittany and her sisters had repaired their bond. Jeanette had apologized, but there was no need. It made him smile to know that Brittany was just as close to her sisters as he was with his little brothers.

Fortunately, Simon and Jeanette's relationship couldn't be better. Not only had Simon willingly forgave Jeanette and accepted her back, but they were actually _engaged. _Alvin and Brittany couldn't be happier for them. They always knew they would be good for each other, and now they were planning to spend their lives with each other. Alvin was no romantic, but he couldn't help but smile at the thought of attending their wedding. _You know what they say. First comes love, then comes marriage..._

Alvin couldn't help but feel a bit cheated. He was the oldest! He was supposed to experience things like marriage first! Well, he figured he still had time to pop the question later down the road. After all, Simon and Jeanette weren't planning to actually marry until after high school.

He laughed, making Brittany look at him oddly. _I shouldn't be making this into a competition._

"What's so funny?" Brittany asked curiously.

"Nothing," Alvin grinned, kissing her cheek. "Oh! How is Theo and Ellie doing? I haven't seen them around lately."

"They're in their little love bubble," Brittany said, giggling. She thought it was utterly adorable. Eleanor and Theodore had been in a serious relationship for a long, long time now. Almost everywhere they went, they were together. She was happy for the two of them. They were so perfect for each other, everyone figured it was only a matter of time until they realized it themselves. "They said they'll promise to visit you later this evening!"

"Good. Just because they're madly in love, it doesn't give them the right to forget about me! I'm in the hospital!" Alvin laughed, clearly joking around. He rubbed the back of his neck, his smile disappearing as he stared at Brittany. It eventually started to make her uncomfortable, and she asked what was wrong. "Oh! Nothing's wrong... it's just..."

"Just...?" Brittany echoed, leaning in. "What?"

"Well, you tell me. We've known each other for a while, but I don't want to rush things," Alvin said nervously. "Well, it's probably just me, but... I don't want to waste another second in doubt," Alvin forced, blushing red. Brittany looked at him, intrigued. Why did he have to look into those blue eyes of hers? Now he was even more nervous for what he was about to ask! "I-I... well..."

"Alvin?" Brittany said, tilting her head to the side curiously. "What's wrong?"

"Will you marry me?"

Brittany's eyes widened and she sat up straight. Surely, he was joking... right? The serious, slightly nervous, look Alvin was giving her told him that this was no joke. Her cheeks reddened and her heart pace quickened as she realized just what Alvin was asking her.

Alvin fidgeted at her silence. Oh god, what if she said no? He didn't think he could handle that rejection. But, then again, it was so sudden! Even if she declined, he didn't think he'd be too upset. Maybe it was his nerves that made him want to jump into marriage. Now that he thought about it, it was crazy coming from him! Maybe he should think it over more.

"O-Or, rather, my fiance," Alvin said quickly, looking down at his writhing hands. "Sorry. Maybe I'm being too forward with this. It's just... I know what my heart wants, Brittany. And you know me, I never was one to listen much to what my brain says," he joked. Brittany smiled. "But I think our little siblings have the right idea. I love you, Brittany. Truly. I don't want to waste another moment of you not being mine, completely. S-So..." he took a deep breath and took both of her paws in his, forcing himself to look her in the eyes. "Will you make me the luckiest guy alive, and marry me, Brittany?"

Brittany began to cry, making Alvin look at her in confusion. Oh, what did he do now? He made his own girlfriend cry! _Oh god, did I say something wrong! I knew I should have rehearsed!_

To his surprise, Brittany jumped into his arms. He caught her, holding her gently as she hugged him tightly. He looked down at her as she looked up at him with joyful tears.

"You idiot," she said. "I'm already yours. It just took you so long to realize that."

Alvin smiled brightly. "Does that mean...?"

"Of course!" Brittany said, laughing happily. She never expected him to ask, or at least not so quickly. But she was happy. There was nothing that would make her happier than to know that she would soon be his wife, his mate. "I love you too, and I'd love to be your wife."

Alvin smiled and kissed her, leaning back to let them rest against his pillow. Brittany nuzzled into him, content.

From now on, they would take on the world together.

XOXOXOXOXO

_Author's Note: **THE END.**_


End file.
